


Another Crewmate

by HeroR



Series: Luffy's Mind Series [5]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Attempted Murder, Betrayal, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Mild Language, Parody, Revenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 21:19:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeroR/pseuds/HeroR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luffy has done it again. Without much thought or care, he has invited a new person to join his crew. Then again, who wouldn't want her? She's pretty, smart, strong, and sassy. She has all the qualities of a perfect crewmate. Or, does she?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pirate Town

**Author's Note:**

> It has been awhile since I have wrote a multi-chapter One Piece story, but the plot bunny has been on a break for me lately. This story came to me one day after reading zealousfreak27's brilliant parody, 'The Great New Pirate Era?' and watching way too many episodes of The FanFiction Critic. This story is not a parody and is not meant to be complete humorous, but it does dive into some problems with OC characters in the fanfic universe.
> 
> This was an overall tough story for me to write and this is different than anything I have ever written before, so I am no sure how everything will pan out. Feedback is always useful and be honest so I can fix any problems that arises.
> 
> It is hard to explain this story without given too much a way, so sit back and enjoy the ride. Thanks once again to zealousfreak27 for beta reading this story. I really do appreciate the time and energy you give checking everything.
> 
> Now, onward to the story.

"We will be arriving on the next island by tomorrow afternoon," Nami said bluntly as the rest of the crew sat down for dinner.

Luffy's eyes lit up gleefully at the mention of an island. "Really, what kind of island is it!"

Nami sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "It's a pirate town much like Mock Town."

Zoro inwardly groaned. He hated going to pirate towns, despite the fact that they had only been to two on their short voyage.

In Mock Town they had to deal with a loud mouth hyena and his equally annoying crew. In the other pirate town they had to deal with a group of assholes and a drunken Luffy tearing up the place. Although that last part was almost karma for those pirates.

"Maybe we'll get in luck and the log pose will set quickly," Usopp said hopefully.

"We can only hope," Nami said as she resolved herself for another long day. In either case, this was going to suck.

"Don't worry, Nami-swan," Sanji cooed. "I'll protect you from any shit head pirate who would dare lay a finger on you."

Brook looked up in thought. "It has been many years since I've been to any pirate run town, or any town for that matter," he added as he laughed at his own morbid joke. "In my day, however, my crew used to go to pirate towns to find new crew members."

Chopper looked at the skeleton as he drank his juice. "You went into town to recruit? Didn't your captain picked one at a time for your crew like Luffy?"

Brook shook his head. "My captain had an open invitation to anyone who wanted to join as long as they loved music, wanted to explore the sea, and just have a grand adventure. We didn't want to be like other pirate crews who went around sacking ships and murdering civilians."

"Wow, I always assumed that all pirates chose their crew like Luffy," Chopper said in wonder.

"The way Luffy-san builds his crew is actually quite usual," Brook stated with some thought. "At least in my day, pirate crews were built with auditions or an open policy much like my old crew. Most captains simply didn't pick crewmates one at a time given how time consuming that is."

Franky gave a short laugh. "Well, this is a highly usual crew."

Chopper then looked towards his captain. "Why doesn't Luffy have such an open policy?"

"Because our crew is random enough as it is," Sanji answered as he glanced over Chopper, Franky, and Brook. "If Luffy had his way, who knows what we would end up sailing with."

"Now that I think about it, why doesn't Luffy have something like an audition?" Usopp wondered out loud. "That's a fast way to build a crew."

Luffy suddenly stopped eating. "We'll never have an open audition."

The hardness in Luffy's voice caused the entire crew to pause in surprise. It sounded like their captain was talking from a bad personal experience.

"Anyway, you all better behave yourselves once we reach the town," Nami said firmly, getting back on subject. "I don't want another Mock Town or Barrel Brawling. Any nonsense from any of you will earn a two-hundred thousand belli fine from me."

Everyone, save for Robin, groaned, but agreed to the shady deal.

"You're worst than any loan shark," Usopp muttered to himself.

Robin just chuckled, knowing it would be impossible for this crew to behave, no matter the threat.

* * *

True to Nami words, they arrived in port by late afternoon. The anchor was dropped and everyone was gathered on deck.

They were still some distance away from the town, given that no one wanted to get any closer. Even if this was a pirate friendly town, they didn't want anyone knowing that they were here. The fact the entire crew was worth over half a million belli was tempting even for pirates who wanted to raise their profile.

"So, who will be guarding the ship?" Franky asked as he looked over the Sunny.

"Should we draw straws?" Zoro asked.

"I don't mind staying behind," Usopp said. He didn't want to go into another pirate town.

Nami looked towards Brook. "Do you mind staying behind? Given your...appearance you may draw too much unwanted attention."

Brook nodded, knowing that she was right. "It would be my honor, Nami-san. I shall guard this Lion-chan with my life."

Nami sweat dropped when she heard that. "It's not that serious."

"And it's Thousand Sunny, not Lion-chain," Franky growled in annoyance.

"I will stay as well," Robin suddenly said, surprising some of the Strawhats. "It would be unwise just to leave one person to guard the ship given where we are."

Zoro nodded. "Good idea."

With the arrangements made, the rest of the Strawhats made their way into town. The city itself was fairly clean for a pirate run town and some of the buildings were made of stone and brick instead of just cheap wood structures.

It didn't take too long, however, before they ran into their first drunk, who was passed out on the street.

"Isn't it a little early to be that plaster?" Franky asked as they passed over the body.

"Apparently, not in this town," Nami said offhandedly.

"I wonder where're the restaurants are around here?" Luffy suddenly asked. He kept sniffing around until he stopped in front of a local bar. He could smell meat.

"Luffy, we're not eating in this town, remember?" Nami said as she attempted to grab her captain.

She was too slow as Luffy ran inside, knocking over several people who were standing by the door. He immediately went to the bar and took a seat.

"Hey mister, I want meat!" Luffy yelled as he banged his on the bar.

His yelled caught the attention of the other customers. They all stared at the strawhat boy and began to mutter among themselves.

"Isn't that Strawhat Luffy?" one of them muttered.

Another man nodded. "Yeah, no other pirate wears a hat like that. So, he made it way out here."

Nami took note of the conversation and became worried. She didn't want to get into any fights because of their bounties. She thought about using cloaks again to hide their identities, but that strategic never works.

Usopp also noticed the muttering among the other pirates. "They know us," he whispered to Nami.

"I just hope we can avoid any trouble," Nami whispered back towards Usopp. "But as always, get ready to run."

Usopp nodded in agreement.

Zoro paid no attention to any of this as he went to join Luffy at the bar. "I want some sake."

"Cola for me," Franky said as he placed his order.

"What kind of exotic drinks do you have here?" Sanji asked the bartender.

"How can they all be so calm?" Usopp muttered.

Nami decided it was best to join the rest of her crewmates and ordered a drink for herself. Thankfully, the other pirates seemed to go about their business and said nothing more about the Strawhats.

Within a span of an hour, however, that all changed. As Luffy happily ate, a huge man suddenly approached him from behind. "Are you Strawhat Luffy?"

Luffy turned around to face the man with a mouthful of meat in his mouth. He towered over the boy since he seemed to be passed seven feet and had a musclier built. He also had long black hair with eyes that matched.

"Yeah, who're you?" Luffy muttered through his food.

Before Luffy even finished his question, the man pulled out his sword and attempted to behead Luffy. He might have succeeded if Zoro didn't see the flash of the sword from the corner of his eye. Within a blink of an eye, Zoro's sword was locked with the other man's.

The man glared at Zoro. "The Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro."

"What do you think you're trying to do to my captain?" Zoro growled.

The man didn't bother to answer.

Chopper's head shot up when he heard the cock of a gun. "Look out!" he yelled as he tackled Zoro, just as someone tried to shoot him.

"Dammit, is everyone here trying to kill us?" Sanji asked in frustration as he stood up. He noticed several other people now standing in front of them.

"If we killed the Strawhat Luffy, we'll become even more infamous," one of them grinned.

"Dammit." Nami cussed as she took out her Clima-Tact. She knew this could happen.

Another pirate chuckled. "Not just Strawhat Luffy, but his entire crew."

"Although, who's the guy with the curly brow?" one of the pirates asked as he looked at Sanji.

Sanji growled when he heard this. Damn the World Government for screwing up his wanted poster.

"Like any of you could kill Strawhat Luffy or his crew for that matter," a voice spoke up.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the person who dared interrupt their fight. In one of the corners of the bar sat a young woman with long-flowing red and purple hair that matched her hypnotic violet eyes. Her skin was pale, despite the sunny weather outside, but that seemed to only add to her beauty. It looked like she attempted to cover up her beauty by wearing conservative clothes, but that too only added to her charm.

Luffy looked at the girl and felt himself grasp. She was very pretty, especially her eyes. Which was strange since he hardly noticed or cared about a girl's appearance. Honestly, the only girl that Luffy really noticed appearance wise was Nami and that was because she was very up front about her looks.

Even Zoro raised an eyebrow when he saw the girl. That was something about this girl, but he couldn't put his finger on it, although even he found her to be beautiful.

"And just who the hell are you to talk to us like that?" one of the pirates asked.

The girl leaned forward and gave the pirate a smug look. "Not much, apparently. I could call you all pirates, but that would be an insult to pirates everywhere."

A pirate growled at her. "You little bitch."

Sanji immediately kicked the man across the room. "That's no way to talk to a lady!"

The girl rolled her eyes as she stood up. "I hardly need any man to stand up for me," she then glanced at each of the pirates. "I find your murder attempt annoying, especially given that I'm trying to have a nice meal here. So, I suggest you all shut up, behave yourselves, and wait until I leave before Strawhat kick all your asses."

Usopp gave a loud whistle. "She has guts."

"I don't know who you think you are, little girl, the man who attacked Luffy said, "But, you better stay quiet before I kill..."

Before he could finish his threat, the girl kicked him hard between the legs, causing a loud cracking sound to be heard. Everyone, even the women, felt it.

The man screamed in pain as he collapsed on the dirty floor. "That...that's...low..."

"I think she popped one of them," Nami whispered to herself as she put her hand over her mouth.

"You brought it all on yourself," the girl said coldly. "Although there wasn't much to hit."

Franky rubbed his own speedo in sympathy. He knew all too well how that man felt at the moment.

"You've just signed your death warrant," the pirates growled as they turned their attention from the Strawhats.

The woman reached for something on her belt. "You fools just never learn."

Just before the pirates could attack, however, Sanji did a handstand and ruthlessly kicked all of the pirates out of the way, surprising the girl.

"What are you doing?" the girl asked. "I can handle this myself."

Sanji casually took the cigarette out of his mouth and stomped it on the wooden floor. He then glared at each of the pirates who were quickly started to back up. "Even if you can fight these shit heads on your own, my code won't allow any woman to be harmed in my presence."

"That's a stupid code," the girl muttered.

Zoro nodded his head. "We do agree on that," he then took off his bandanna and retied it around his head. "Unlike the love cook her, I'm fighting because no one tries to harm our captain and get a way with it," he then began to grin.

The rest of the Strawhats also got ready for combat.

"Kill them all!" one of the pirates yelled as they attacked the Strawhats and the young woman.

Franky dislocated his shoulders, surprising the pirates. "Franky Destroy Cannon!" he then began to open fire on the pirates, causing them to scattered like cockroaches.

Chopper decided not to hold back and ate one of his Rumble Balls. He then changed into his Horn Point.

"The hell!" the pirates yelled before Chopper ruthlessly mowed them down, skewing some of them on his sharp horns.

"Thunder Tempo!" Nami screamed as lighting volts rained from the sky, striking a group of the pirates.

The young woman took out a pair of guns and began to fire away at anyone who got too close to her. If they did manage to get within close range of her, she would knock them out of the way with a well place kick or right hook.

It didn't take long before the bar was cleared and all the pirates were either unconscious or too wounded to get back up and fight. All and all, it was an easy battle.

"That was disappointing," Zoro said as he retied his bandana on his arm. "I would expect more from a group that wanted to become infamous."

"Most trash are all bark and no bite," the woman said as she casually kicked one of the fallen pirates. "Just ashamed I had to waste my ammo on them. Not to mention my lunch."

Luffy then turned towards the woman. "You were amazing!"

The statement confused Nami. The woman could fight, but she hasn't shown anything amazing enough to earn such praise from her captain. He practically had stars in his eyes.

"You handled yourself well," Zoro said. "Those were some slick moves you pulled on those pirates."

"Oh, you mean my martial arts," the girl said with a slight shrug. "It's no big deal. I trained in a dojo for most of my life before setting off to sea. You can't survive long on the Grand Line if you can't defend yourself in some way."

As she looked at Zoro, her eyes caught his interest again. They were just usual and he found that he couldn't turn away from her. What was wrong with him?

Luffy paid little attention to any of this as he ran up to the girl. "Hey lady, why don't you join my crew?"

The other Strawhats stared at Luffy in disbelief.

"What, are you serious?" Nami asked in shock.

It wasn't unusual for Luffy to invite random people or things to his crew with little to no rational reason. That's how they ended up with Chopper and Brook as crewmates. But, this was just strange even by Luffy's standards. Besides being very pretty, there was nothing outstanding about her that should have caught Luffy's interest like this.

Nami blinked several times in surprise. Did she just call the girl pretty? Well, she was beautiful and she even put Nami to shame with her fair skin and silky hair that was a unusual color. Any man or woman would want to be with her.

Wait a minute, why were these thoughts going through her head?

"Nami, you okay?" Usopp asked as he noticed how flush the navigator was.

Nami rubbed her head. "Yeah...I'm fine."

"Wow, we're going to have a new crewmate!" Chopper cheered happily. He always loved adding to the family.

Sanji was practically spinning in joy. It was about time Luffy invited more women. "It would be my honor to have such an exotic beauty like you on board."

"I decline," the woman said bluntly, stopping Sanji cold. "Look, you seem like nice people and all, but I'm a loner. I just don't do the group thing."

"Neither does Zoro, but he's part of my crew," Luffy pointed out.

Zoro glanced at his captain. That may be true, but Luffy didn't have to go tell her that. He was uncomfortable enough around her.

The girl waved her hand. "Sorry, not interested," she then turned around to leave.

"Oh come on, join my crew," Luffy insisted.

"I said no," the woman said more firmly. "Can't you take no for an answer?"

"No," Luffy answered without missing a beat.

"Well, you're taking it now. I don't want to join your crew," she said with finality as she began to walk out the door.

Nami suddenly felt a strong urge take over her. "At least tell us your name?"

The woman turned around to look at the orange-haired woman. "It's Mariangely." She walked out the bar.


	2. Maria of the Angels

The Strawhats said nothing as they watched Mariangely leave.

"Mariangely, what a heavenly name fit for an angel," Sanji cooed.

Zoro rolled his eyes at the cook, although he too found himself taken by the woman and he didn't know why. He just met the woman.

Luffy suddenly brought his fists together. "I don't care what she says. She's joining my crew whether she likes it or not!" He then ran out of the bar.

"Luffy, wait!" Usopp yelled.

"Let him go," Nami sighed. "You know how he is when he has an idea."

Chopper looked at Nami. "Do you really think she'll join us?"

"Who knows." Nami shrugged. Although she tried to sound indifferent, a part of her hoped she would. Dammit, what was wrong with her today? "Anyway, let's get our supplies and go back to the ship before anyone else tries to kill us."

The rest of the Strawhats nodded in agreement.

* * *

Luffy ran all over the town looking for Mariangely. He asked around and was met only with threats. Some even tried to attack him, but they were easily dealt with. Most of the suppose pirates in town were either complete wimps or were too drunk to put up a decent fight.

After nearly an hour of running around town and getting nowhere, Luffy eventually found himself on the far side of town, which was much dirtier and run down than the port entrance.

Luffy knew from his experience in Goa that this was the part of town where all the shady businesses stood.

"Dammit Mariangely, where have you been?" a voice yelled. Luffy then heard the all too familiar sounds of a slap. "I told you to come here at four o' clock sharp!"

"Sorry, I had some trouble at one of the locals bars," Mariangely said. Her voice was shaky as if she was fighting the urge to cry.

Another slapped filled the air, causing Luffy to wince. "That's no excuse! You have customers that have been waiting for you!"

Mariangely sighed. "I know..."

"Then get to work!" the man yelled again as Mariangely's voice disappeared.

Luffy ran towards the sound of the commotion and found himself standing in front a large wooden building. It was slightly run down, but it was in better shaped than the other buildings in this area of town.

He quickly scanned a nearby sign and read it out loud. "Joe's Brothel." Luffy didn't know much, but he knew what a brothel was. They practically littered all of Edge Town and he has been threatened to be sold to one on more than a couple of times.

"Hey, what do you want, kid!" someone yelled at him. Luffy looked up to see a dirty man coming towards him. "This is no place for children."

Luffy looked straight at him with a blank expression. "I want to see Mariangely."

The man began to chuckle. "Who doesn't. She's very popular. She's the only slut I would dang in that crap hole."

"Can I see her?" Luffy asked, purposely ignorant the sexual overtone.

"She has another client," the man said. "You have to get on the waiting list, plus she's an expressive little thing. If you're desperate, they're others here you can wet your appreciate on until she's ready."

Luffy said nothing as he walked inside. The inside was surprising comfortable with sofas and chairs. Normally, he would barge in and take Mariangely by force, but he decided to wait. He honestly didn't want to walk in on anything.

After an hour or so of waiting in the lounge, a man came out, whistling happily. He didn't even spare Luffy a glance as he walked out.

"How may I help you?" a man behind a desk asked. He looked all too happy counting his money.

"I want to see Mariangely," Luffy said bluntly.

The man chuckled. "Have your eyes on the good stuff. Not bad for someone so young. However, she's booked until the end of the month."

Luffy frowned. He didn't want to wait a month.

"Who's that? Is that my next appointment?" Mariangely asked as she stepped out of the room. She was now dressed in a white silky gown that flowed over her curvy body.

Luffy found his eyes locked on her and unable to turn a way. There were no words to describe her.

"Mariangely, get back inside!" the man yelled. "Your next appointment will be coming any minute now."

Luffy was finally able to break out of his trance. "So, this is why you turned down becoming part of my crew."

Mariangely frowned when she saw Luffy. "Oh, it's you again."

The man looked between the two. "You know him?"

"He's just some pirate I ran into in town," Mariangely tried to say dismissively.

"What this about you joining his crew?" the man insisted as his voice rose.

"It's nothing," Mariangely said quickly.

"I want her to become my new crewmate," Luffy said bluntly, causing Mariangely to glare at him.

"Be quiet," she whispered harshly.

The man laughed. "So you're that taken in by her that you want her all to yourself? You're a typical pirate, but you can't have her. I wouldn't sell her even if you offered me a one-hundred million belli for her."

Luffy turned towards Mariangely. "Can't you leave?"

Mariangely put down her head shamefully. "I...I can't..."

The man began to laugh harder. "You see, her old crew sold her to me for a nice profit. The captain needed the cash after her rack up an ungodly gambling debt."

"Well, I decided to have her as my crew and that's the end of it," Luffy said stubbornly.

"You can't just decide that!" Mariangely yelled. "Besides, this bastard owns me."

The man grinned evilly. "That's right. If she ever tries to leave me, I can bring the entire force of this town on her head. I won't let my star whore get a way."

Mariangely cringed at being called a whore. It looked like she wanted to strangle the man.

"Do you want to be here?" Luffy suddenly asked Mariangely.

Mariangely was surprise by the question. "What?"

"Do you want to be here?" Luffy asked again.

"Of course I don't want to be here!" Mariangely yelled. "Why would anyone want to be someone's sex slave?"

Luffy lifted up his arms. "Then join me on the open sea!"

Mariangely snorted. "I got burnt by one pirate crew before. As far as I know, you just want me as your private slut. If I do leave this place, it won't be as a pirate, especially a pirate's whore."

Luffy's face softened. "I would never sell you or use you like that."

"I've heard that before," Mariangely sneered.

"That's enough chitchat," the man said harshly as he ruthlessly grabbed Mariangely's arm. "Your next client will be here soon. So get back inside."

Before he could pull her further, Luffy suddenly backedhanded the man into a wall. Mariangely was completely stunned by these turned of events. The boy captain's eyes were covered by his hat, giving him an intimidating aura. This was the first time she could see the feared pirate known as Strawhat Luffy.

"She says she doesn't want to go back," Luffy growled harshly.

"What the hell are you doing, Strawhat!" Mariangely yelled once she found her voice. "You maybe a feared pirate, but you can't just steal something from a town like this."

"I don't care," Luffy said as he lifted his hat up so she could see his eyes. "I fear no one in this or any town. If you want freedom, then join me as part of my pirate crew. Otherwise, you can stay here and rot as some man's toy."

Mariangely was speechless for a couple of minutes. The boy's demeanor and devil may care attitude was something that she wasn't expecting. Yes, all pirates had a degree of recklessness, but she had never heard of a pirate picking a fight with an entire town over one woman. Especially one he has just met. Nonetheless, she felt herself smiling.

"You're really something else. I guess I should expect no less from a man of your reputation," Mariangely laughed before she gave a wide smile. "Fine, I'll be a pirate one more time. This town stinks anyway."

Luffy returned her smile. "Then let's get out of here."

"You...you won't get away," the man groaned as he stood up. "No one steals my property."

This time, Mariangely was the one who kicked him in the face, knocking some of his teeth out. "Shut up! I'm done with you and your whorehouse. Find someone else to fuck."

Luffy chuckled at the scene before they both ran out. When they got outside, they saw several people surrounding them.

"Where do you think you're going?" one of the men growled.

"I had her next!" one of the people said as he reached for his sword. "I waited a month to get my hands on her."

"No one steals our whore and gets away with it," another man said.

This earned him a vicious kicked by Mariangely to his midsection. "Stop calling me a whore!"

Luffy also took out the rest of the men easily with a Gum Gum Whip.

Mariangely looked at Luffy in mild surprise. "So, the rumors are true. You're a Devil Fruit user."

Luffy smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I ate the Gum Gum Fruit."

Mariangely playfully grabbed Luffy's cheek and pulled it until it stretched. Strange, his skin felt normal except for maybe being thicker and smoother. "Such a strange power suits you."

With that said, they both ran off through the town. It didn't take them long before they had the Sunny within their sights.

"That's your ship?" Mariangely asked. She realized how dumb the question was when she saw the pirate flag flowing in the wind.

Luffy chuckled. "Yeah, the Thousand Sunny!"

"Why do a thousand dandelions come to mind?" Mariangely muttered to herself.

As they ran, several more pirates came after them. Mariangely recognized some of them as her former clients. The things some men do for a booty job.

Meanwhile on the Sunny, Brook stood on watched as he turned towards the sounds of the commotion.

"Luffy-san's back!" Brook yelled when he saw his captain running towards the ship. He was watching them through a telescope.

"It's about time," Nami said in annoyance as she and the rest of the crew finished loading the ship. Luffy always somehow manage to skip carrying the supplies on board the ship.

"Oh my, he has a pretty young lady running beside him," Brook suddenly added.

This caught Nami's attention. "A pretty lady?"

"It must be that woman we met at the bar," Zoro said as he tried to keep his face blank.

He had to keep himself from breaking into a smile at the thought of seeing that woman again. Why the hell was he so happy anyway? He just met the girl for heaven's sake.

"It seems several people are also chasing Luffy-san," Brook continued to report.

Sanji sighed. He knew that rubber idiot couldn't stay out of trouble for long.

"Can't we go into one town that doesn't end with us being chased out?" Usopp whispered to himself.

"Stop that ship!" they heard someone scream. "That boy's a thief!"

Nami heard enough as she turned towards her crew. "Get ready to set sail!"

Usopp looked at her in surprise. "What about the log pose? It doesn't set for another two days."

"We'll deal with that later!" Nami yelled as she pushed Usopp. "We have to leave now!"

Without another word, they all got the ship prepared. By the time Luffy and Mariangely reached the Sunny, the sails were opened and the ship was ready to move. The crew didn't have to drop the ladder as both Luffy and Mariangely jumped on board.

"That was fun," Mariangely muttered.

Sanji happily greeted their new crewmate. "Mariangely-chan, it's an honor to have you on board." Hearts were dancing in his eyes.

Mariangely just stared at Sanji.

They began to pull out of port, but several nearby ships attempted to cut them off. It wasn't long before they began to fire on them.

"Sheesh Luffy, what did you steal from them?" Franky asked as he helped to defend the Sunny by shooting at the enemy's ships.

"They want Mariangely," Luffy answered simply as he deflected a cannonball with his rubber body.

Zoro looked over Mariangely carefully. "She's that valuable?"

Mariangely shrugged. "Apparently so."

"Talk later!" Nami yelled as she told Sanji how to steer the ship away from the enemy.

After over ten minutes of dodging and deflecting cannonballs, the Strawhats were finally able to sail away from the island. Some of the Strawhats collapsed in exhaustion from their escape.

"Too close," Usopp muttered.

"Those ships nearly shuck us," Chopper said. "Good thing Sunny is much stronger than the Merry." As much as he loved his old ship, Merry would had not survive such an assault.

Franky looked over the damage. "Damn those pirates. This is at least half a day worth of repairs."

Luffy chuckled. "That was kind of fun."

Usopp knocked Luffy upside the head. "Only you would call that fun."

Zoro turned his attention towards the person who caused the entire situation. "Why were those people after you?"

Mariangely sighed. "Because I owe a huge debt."

Zoro gave her a confused look.

"Her old crew sold her to a brothel," Luffy said bluntly, causing the entire crew to stare at him in disbelief.

"You didn't have to tell them that," Mariangely grumbled.

"What kind of jackass sells a woman to a brothel?" Sanji asked in disgust. "Tell me where they are and I personally kick all of their asses for you!"

"They're long gone," Mariangely said dismissively. "They left me in that town weeks ago."

"It isn't uncommon for pirates to sell women like that, especially over debt," Robin said darkly.

There were more than a couple of times when the pirate crew she was sailing under attempted to sell her or use her as a sex slave. Thankfully, her powers were able to put such men in their place, although she had more than a few close calls.

Chopper titled his head. "What's a brothel?"

"I'll tell you when you're older," Robin answered gently.

"He's old enough," Luffy said as he turned towards Chopper. "A brothel is..."

Robin immediately used her power to shut Luffy's mouth. "There's no need to ruin his innocence." It kind of disturbed her that Luffy knew what a brothel was.

Chopper looked between the two of them, completely lost.

"Sounds like you had a rough time," Franky noted, getting back to the main subject.

Brook nodded those head. "What those men did to you is a great dishonor. A union between two people isn't something to be sold to the highest bidder."

"It wouldn't be the first time a man screwed me," Mariangely said as she tried to wave off their concerns. "I just wanted to pay my debt off and get the hell out of there, but my demand because so high that it became nearly unbearable. Also, some of those pirates were just plain filthy."

"Demand?" Chopper asked in further confusion. He hated being treated like the little kid in the room.

"It makes sense given your...appearance." Nami said slowly. She was not going say out loud that Mariangely was beautiful and that she was almost jealous of her.

"You're safe now," Robin assured the younger woman. "Although, you may want to be looked over by Chopper to make sure you did not get anything."

Mariangely shuttered at the thought of what she may have contracted from those pirates.

Luffy smiled widely at Mariangely. "No one will ever hurt you again, cause you're part of my crew now."

Zoro folded his arms. "So, it's official."

Sanji was all too happy to have another female on board. He was sick of getting nothing but men lately.

Nami should be happy about getting another female on board, but something about Mariangely just didn't sit right with her.

"Hey Robin, do you mind taking Mariangely to her new room?" Franky asked. "She should rest and get settled before Chopper runs any kind of tests on her."

"What kind of tests am I supposed to be running?" Chopper asked in frustration.

Zoro sighed as he gently grabbed one of Chopper's hooves and took him into the infirmary. It was best to have this kind of talk in private. He would really prefer either Nami or Robin to do this, but this was a talk between men.

At the same time, Robin began to lead Mariangely to the woman's quarters.

"Although, because of our dealing with Mariangely we had to leave the island before our log pose set," Nami sighed in frustration.

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Mariangely said as she took something off her wrist and threw it at the navigator.

Nami gracefully caught it and carefully looked it over. "This is..."

"A log pose," Mariangely finished for her. "I managed to keep mine when I was sold. I had to have some way to escape one day."

"Well, at least that's one worry out of the way," Nami said as her mood brightened.

Mariangely then allowed Robin to lead her to the woman's quarters. The room was very spacious with two beds set up, which she assumed belong to Robin and Nami.

"You know, this ship isn't very big if these are the woman quarters," Mariangely noted. It looked like the room could only hold two or three more people.

"It works because this is a small crew," Robin said. "Luffy is a very personal person and has handpicked everyone here. Because of his philosophy, I doubt this crew will ever become big. That is most likely why Franky did not make the Sunny bigger despite all the resources he had."

"Sounds like a weird policy to have. As a pirate, it's always best to have a large and diverse crew in case something happens," Mariangely said. "I mean if one of you dies, you would be severely shorthanded."

Robin nodded. "True, but Luffy does not feel that way. To us, we are more than just his crew. We are his family."

Mariangely looked up at Robin. "Family?"

Robin fondly nodded and began to smile. "I am sure it's strange to hear such a word among a pirate crew, but it is the truth. Even when I was formerly his enemy he welcomed me on board without a shred of doubt. At first, I thought it was simply to repay his debt to me, but he sincerely cared for me."

Mariangely sat on one of the empty beds in thought. "It seems kind of odd that Strawhat would see me as family despite the fact we've just met."

"He must have seen something special within you," Robin said as she glanced over Mariangely.

Mariangely shrugged. "I guess he did, but I find it weird that you don't question me at all either. You don't strike me as the trusting time."

"You are quite correct. For a long time, I trusted no one but myself and questioned anyone I have ever come in contact with," Robin admitted. "But, I trust Luffy completely and in lieu of that, I trust anyone he chooses to have on his crew. Luffy may make odd or rash choices, but his instinct has always been proved right about people."

"Your captain, or should I say our captain, sounds like an amazing person. I can't wait to know him better," Mariangely said, although she could tell that Robin wasn't being entirely truthful towards her.

There was short, comfortable paused between the two women.

"Mariangely, I have to say that is a strange name," Robin suddenly said.

Mariangely smiled. "It was my mother name. I was named in honor of her because she died giving birth to me. I was told it meant Maria of the Angels."

Robin raised an eyebrow, but chose not to say anything. This girl was strange and, despite her own words to her, she did not entirely trust her. Luffy, however, saw fit to invite her to their crew, and she would always respect her captain's decision, despite any misgivings she may have. It was not like she joined with a clean slate.

Nonetheless, she could not shake the uneasy feeling Mariangely gave her. She found, however, her doubts fade when she looked into Mariangely's beautiful violet eyes. She felt herself go at ease, although she didn't know why.

"I think we'll become good friends, Robin-chan" Mariangely said with a smile.

Robin returned the smile.

* * *

A couple days passed within the pirate town and life had all but returned to normal. The day, however, was miserable since it have been raining for the past couple of days. Because of the weather, most of the pirates stood inside the bar, getting even drunker.

"You're looking for some girl name Mariangely?" the bartender asked.

"Yeah, we left her here nearly a month ago," the man answered.

"Sorry, but Mariangely left days ago," the bartender said. "Well, most like she was stolen by some pirates. The brothel owner was not pleased. That woman was pretty much his only business in that shitty hell hole of his."

Another man next to the first man sighed. "Dammit, we were too late. That devil has already made her move."

"Do you know who stole her?" the first man asked.

The bartender nodded. "It was one of the hot rookies, Strawhat Luffy."

The first man nodded. "Just as we expected."

"It makes sense. I've heard that Strawhat had a small crew despite his reputation. It will be easy for her to cast her spell on them within a short time," the second man said.

The first man folded his arms. "There is only one more island left from here before they reached Sabaody. She will make her move there, I'm sure. Looks like Aaron will be working overtime in order for us to catch up with Strawhat."

The other man nodded. "No matter what, we must stop her before she destroys the Strawhats."


	3. Getting Closer

The next few days passed with ease as the Strawhats got used to their new crewmate. Mariangely seemed to adapt easily with the crew, especially with the females and Sanji.

Zoro, as always, was the most cautious of Mariangely, but even he found his defensives lowering around her. Every few minutes, he found himself sneaking glances over at Mariangely as she sat talking with Nami and sunbathing. He had never seen anyone look so good in a swimsuit before. She seemed to glow with the sun.

Despite how subtle Zoro attempted to be, Mariangely had caught him looking more than a few times and always flashed him a mischievous smile, causing him to always look away and blush.

Dammit, what the hell was wrong with him? Why was this woman able to get under his skin? He couldn't really be falling for her. He barely knew her and he had never lusted over any woman in his life. Even when Nami walked around practically naked he didn't blink, but now this near stranger had him acting like some school kid. He didn't like this feeling, not one bit.

"Zoro, are you okay?" Chopper asked in worry as he watched the older man train. He was also working on his medicine on the deck. "You look flushed. You're not sick, are you?"

Zoro shook his head. "It's nothing."

"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" Chopper asked further. "I've told you it was too soon for you to lift weights." He then paused for a second. "Does this have something to do with Mariangely?"

"I said it's nothing!" Zoro said with more forced than he meant to.

Chopper backed a way in surprise. "It...it's just you've been acting strange ever since Mariangely came on board. You're always flush and you lose focus easily."

Zoro cussed under his breath. Was he so obvious that even Chopper noticed?

Franky began to chuckle as he walked towards his two crewmates. He couldn't help overhearing the conversation. "Hey, isn't it obvious, bro? Our swordsman has a crush."

Zoro nearly dropped his weights. "What, I do not!"

Franky casually patted Zoro on the back. "It's so obvious, bro. There's no point in hiding it."

"What's a crush?" Chopper asked innocently.

Franky paused in thought. "It's when someone likes another person very much."

Chopper's eyes widened in realization. "You mean Zoro wants to mate with Mariangely? Wow, I've never seen a human mating ritual before!"

Zoro really did drop his weights this time, nearly crushing the small reindeer. He wasn't even sure how to answer that.

Franky, however, doubled over in laughter.

"Dammit Franky, this isn't funny." Zoro growled.

"Relax bro, we've all had our little crushes," Franky said as he composed himself. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Zoro grumbled something under his breath. Franky maybe right, but he didn't like having these feelings. Relationships like this will only distract him.

"Although, I have to admit I'm kind of surprised," Franky suddenly said.

"Why are you surprised?" Chopper asked as he began to take his notes out. He had to document this rare event.

Franky turned to look at Chopper. "Well, I didn't think Zoro was interested in the opposite sex or any sex for that matter. Glad to know for sure what team Zoro's playing for."

Chopper wrote all this down. "So, you thought Zoro was gay. It's possible that he's bisexual. I read about them in my medical books."

"You want me to kill both of you," Zoro muttered.

"Human sexuality is so fascinating," Chopper went on as he stopped writing. "Zoro when you do start courting Mariangely, can I watch?"

Zoro had enough of this and he stormed up to the Observatory. He was confused enough without the teasing of his crewmates.

Mariangely, who was watching the entire scene, chuckled in amusement. She had to admit; Roronoa Zoro was even more handsome than his wanted poster gave him credit for. There was just an air of danger around him that she found very attractive. She supposed it was the classic 'bad boy' type of crush.

"Don't worry, Zoro isn't usually this weird," Nami said as she read the newspaper.

Mariangely chuckled. "Yeah, he doesn't strike me as the type to have a crush."

Nami put down her paper in thought. "When I think about it, everyone has been acting a little usual lately."

"I guess everyone just hasn't gotten use to me yet," Mariangely suggested. "I mean, you guys have been sailing together for months and here I come interrupting the natural order."

Nami knew that wasn't completely the case, but she couldn't think of anything else.

"Yeah, but everyone should get settle in soon," Nami said as she went back to her newspaper. "It took nearly a week for us to get use to Brook, but he was much more heavy handed than you. He tried way too hard to fit in."

Before Mariangely could say anything, Sanji came spinning onto the deck with two cups of dessert. "Nami-swan, Mariangely-chan, I have a special dessert for both of you!" he practically sang.

Luffy heard the word dessert and immediately ran towards Sanji. "I want some!"

Sanji quickly kicked Luffy in the face. "This isn't for you!"

Mariangely winced at the attack. Over the last couple of days, it appeared to her that this crew didn't respect their captain all that much. She couldn't, however, completely blame them given their captain's personality. Despite all his power, he was loud mouthed brat. It almost seemed that the crew was more baby-sitting him than following him.

Nami, who was used to this kind of scene, kindly took her drink and gave Sanji a warm smile. "Thank you, Sanji-kun."

Sanji then turned her attention towards Mariangely. "I still don't know what kind of dessert you like yet, but I made a chocolate cream cheese truffle especially for you."

Mariangely smiled as she took the dish. "Thank you. I love chocolate."

Sanji nearly jumped for joy. "I hope you enjoy! This is my own special recipe!"

Mariangely took a bite and felt like she was in heaven. This was the best chocolate anything she has ever had. The chocolate practically melted in her mouth. Strawhat really knew how to choose his cooks.

"It's perfect," Mariangely nearly purred.

"I'm glad you like it so much, Mariangely-chan," Sanji said with hearts in his eyes. "If you want, I can make you this everyday."

Mariangely chuckled. "You're trying to make me fat."

"Nothing I can give you can change your angelic figure," Sanji said in his most charming voice.

This made even Mariangely blush.

"That enough of that, Sanji-kun," Nami said with a hint of annoyance. This sugary talk was even sweeter than her dessert. "Shouldn't you be getting dinner ready or something?"

Sanji quickly regained his composure. "Of course, Nami-san." He then left, leaving the women to their dessert.

"But Sanji, I want dessert too." Luffy continued to whine as he followed Sanji into the kitchen.

"Fine, I'll make you something, but get the hell out of my kitchen!" Sanji yelled as he kicked Luffy out, sending him flying into the mast. He hit so hard that the mast actually shook on impact.

Luffy muttered something under his breath before he went to find Usopp.

Nami shook her head at her captain's antics. He just never learns.

"He's such a glutton for punishment," Mariangely said as she ate her truffles.

"That's Luffy," Nami said simply.

Mariangely paused in thought for a moment. "Why do you all follow him? From the time I've been here, you guys don't seem to respect him as a captain all that much."

"It does come off as that, doesn't it," Nami said after thinking about it for a moment.

"From what I've seen, you're more of a captain than he is," Mariangely said.

Nami put her paper and dessert down and leaned into her chair. "I may have the knowledge to run a ship, but I could never be a captain. To be a captain takes much more than just being able to navigate and knowing sea charts. It even goes beyond physical strength."

Mariangely looked Nami over. "What do you mean?"

"It takes a certain charm, an aura I guess you could call it, to lead a crew. You have to be able to inspire confidence and trust within a crew," Nami said slowly. Her voice has taken a note of affection as she looked at Luffy. "A captain can rule their crew with fear, but a crew always functions best when they respect and love their captain, not just fear them."

It wasn't just Luffy that taught her that, but also Arlong. She hated Arlong for everything that he had done to her, but she couldn't deny that he was a good captain. Arlong's crew truly loved and respected him. They were willing to fight for him not just because he was their captain, but also because they truly believed in him and his dreams. That was the true strength of the Fishman Pirates, not just their god given strength.

"But if you respect him so much, why do you treat him like a punching bag?" Mariangely asked further.

"It because we can treat him like a punching bag that we respect him so much," Nami said, confusing Mariangely even more. "Luffy doesn't take himself that seriously most of the time. He treats us more as his equals instead of just his subordinates and listens to us when we have an opinion. At the same time, he knows when to act like a captain."

Mariangely rubbed her head. "This is so confusing."

"You'll understand in time," Nami smiled.

Mariangely suddenly got a mischievous grin on her face. "Although I have noticed that your voice seems to become softer when you talk about our captain. Do you have some sort of a crush on him?"

Nami blushed. "Of course, not. Luffy maybe cute, but he's too immature for my taste."

"So, you think he's cute," Mariangely, grinned even more.

Nami seemed to realize what she said in coughed softly. "My relationship with Luffy isn't like that. But, I do have a soft spot for him since he did save my life."

Mariangely was surprise to hear this. "He saved your life?"

"He saved all of our lives," Robin's voice suddenly said as she approached the two women. She had a soft look on her face. "There isn't a person in this crew who doesn't owe their life to Luffy. If we had never met him, most of us would be dead or living miserable lives right now."

Nami nodded as an unconscious shiver ran down her spin. The thought of still working for Arlong while her friends and family were either enslaved or murdered still hunts her dreams. Some nights, she had to remind herself that she was free of him and those dark eight years were over. Nonetheless, there were more than a few times that she had woken up to Arlong laughing in her ears.

Mariangely was silent as she took in all of this information. She was not expecting this level of closeness. From what she has heard, their captain was closer to a friend and savior than a leader. This was indeed a strange crew.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully and dinner was its usual loud event. Mariangely doubted that she would ever get used to how out of control eating was on this ship. Between Luffy stealing all the males' food, Sanji yelling at Zoro for drinking all the sake, and Usopp spicing his food to keep Luffy from eating it, it was not a comfortable environment.

"So, who has watch tonight?" Franky asked as he finished his cola.

"I'll take watch," Mariangely said quickly.

"But you've been taking watch ever since you've been here," Usopp pointed out. "If you're doing that to fit in better, you don't have to."

Nami nodded. "At this rate, you're going to make the boys lazy."

"No, I just don't mind staying up," Mariangely reassured.

Luffy swallowed a mouthful of meat. "If she wants to take watch, let her."

Usopp glared at his captain. "You're just saying that so you don't have to take watch."

"I'll take second watch," Zoro suddenly spoke up, "I insist." He added before Mariangely could say anything.

Mariangely wanted to protest, but quickly gave up. She knew she would be fighting a losing battle. Zoro was just too stubborn.

After dinner, Brook played a selection of music to get the crew ready for bed. There were a few old pirate songs mixed with more recent songs that he had learned from the ports they had visited. After an hour had passed, the crew retired for the night and Mariangely went to the Observatory to begin her watch.

It was passed midnight when Zoro woke up and went to relieve Mariangely from her duty. It was strange, but Zoro felt clearer headed for the first time in days. He wasn't sure what the change was, but he we grateful for it. He hated feeling like his mind was in the clouds.

He climbed the stairs into the Observatory and was annoyed to see that Mariangely had fallen asleep during her shift. It was irresponsible and dangerous for anyone to sleep during watch. An enemy ship could come upon them and they wouldn't be prepared because their only eyes had been sleeping. Such behavior couldn't be allowed on a pirate ship.

Zoro marched over to Mariangely and roughly shook her. "Wake up!"

Mariangely's eyes shot opened, her eyes were unfocused and the haze of sleep was still with her. "Huh...?"

"You fell asleep," Zoro growled harshly.

This immediately woke Mariangely up and her eyes focused on Zoro. "What, I fall asleep!"

At least she understood how serious the situation was, Zoro thought.

"Dammit, I exhausted myself," Mariangely said as she rubbed the last of sleep from her eyes. She then looked Zoro in the face and her piercing glaze once again took him. Her eyes were like fine gems and Zoro felt his previous anger melt away.

"Sorry, I know I shouldn't have slept during watch," Mariangely said with shame in her voice. "I guess I was more tired than I thought."

Zoro shrugged. "It's no big deal." Although he blinked at his own statement. Wasn't it a big deal just a few seconds ago? "But you wouldn't be so sleepy if you didn't take watch so much. There are nine other people on this ship, you know."

Mariangely looked away from the swordsman. "I know, but I don't feel comfortable sleeping in the woman's quarters."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Is it because you think we'll sell you while you sleep?"

Mariangely looked at Zoro in surprise.

"You know we would never do that to you," Zoro said softly. "Whatever your old crew did to you won't be repeated here. Neither Luffy or I would allow it."

"I want to believe you, but a pirate is still a pirate," Mariangely said almost bitterly. "I can't just trust you."

"I would call you a fool if you just trusted us blindly." Zoro stated.

Mariangely looked into Zoro's eyes again and he felt himself getting lost within her gaze. She was just so beautiful. "Tell me, Roronoa Zoro, how did an ex-bounty hunter like you become an infamous pirate under the leadership of some boy?"

"To put it shortly, Luffy saved my life," Zoro said bluntly.

Mariangely nodded. Just as Nami said. "So, he saved your life and you devoted yourself to him."

"It's more complicated than that, but that's pretty much it in a nutshell," Zoro said.

"I wouldn't expect a man like you to need saving," Mariangely said half-jokingly.

"We all need saving some times," Zoro said as he grabbed Mariangely's hand.

Zoro was surprise about how out of character he was acting, but he found himself not caring. He just felt so comfortable around Mariangely he didn't mind lowing his guard around her. Besides, none of his crew were here to tease him.

"Now it's time for a question of my own," Zoro said in almost a whisper. "Why are you way out here in the Grand Line and a pirate? If you don't like that life, why are you even here?"

Mariangely looked away from him. "I lost both of my parents when I was young and to survive I went to a dojo to learn martial arts. I lived on an island that was sacked regularly by pirates and only those who were strong survived."

Zoro nodded. "Sounds like a harsh life."

"It was hard and I grew tired of it." Mariangely sighed. "I set off to see to find a better life. One event led to another and I eventually became a pirate. It was actually going pretty well until my captain decided to sell me. To him, I was nothing but a whore anyway."

Zoro shook his head. "If I've even find that man, I'll kill him."

Mariangely giggled. It sounded like bells. "The gesture is sweet, but I doubt we're ever run into him. Besides, I would want the honor of gutting that bastard."

They stood there in comfortable silence as they watched over the ship. It was a crescent moon tonight, but it just seemed to add to the atmosphere.

Zoro felt himself at ease as he leaned against Mariangely's shoulder. She felt so warm and soft and her scent was very sweet. He wondered if this was how the love cook felt around Nami and Robin. If it was, he could understand why that fool always became so lovey dovey.

Zoro blinked in shock at his line of thinking. Did he really just compare himself to the love cook? The mere thought nearly made him gag. He didn't like the thought of turning into some lovesick puppy, but that was exactly what was happening. He was falling hard under her spell and there wasn't a thing he could do to stop it. Strangely, he didn't want to stop it.

Mariangely smiled. "You know, despite your reputation, you're really are a big softy. Perhaps that tough demeanor of yours is just a way to protect yourself."

Zoro chose to say nothing.

"I'm willing to bet that you had a lonely life yourself before joining this crew," Mariangely continued. "That's why you feel at ease because this place, this crew, gave you back something that you have lost."

Zoro nodded and before he knew it, he began to tell her about Kuina.

They talked well passed the night. They didn't stop until Sanji called the rest of the crew for breakfast.

When they entered the gallery, most of the crew was shock to see Zoro and Mariangely walked in into the kitchen hand and hand. Chopper hurried to takes notes and Nami found herself giggling every few minutes.

The jealousy that shone through Sanji was clear to everyone, including the normally oblivious Luffy. It was so bad that Franky wondered if Sanji would poison Zoro's food. It was against Sanji's code to do such a thing, but he wasn't acting rational.

Robin watched everyone's changed in behavior with concerned eyes. The crew wasn't acting like themselves, especially Zoro. She wasn't sure why, but Mariangely seemed to be in the center of it.

She shook her head as she went back to her breakfast. Everything was fine, something kept telling her, burying all her concerns to the corner of her mind.


	4. Beware the Nice Ones

It was another two days before an island came within sight. The mood was extremely light-hearted since Nami had informed the crew that this was the last island before they finally reached Fishman Island.

"Hard to believe that we're so close to reaching the end of the first half of the Grand Line," Usopp said in awe.

It felt like a lifetime ago since they left East Blue when it had only been about six months. Who would have thought that a simply liar like him would come this far in the world? He was also one step closer to seeing his father again.

"We have come such a long way, haven't we?" Sanji asked as he puffed on his cigarette, thinking back on their previous adventures.

He then glanced towards Zoro and Mariangely who were sitting side by side, holding hands under the table. It still pissed him off beyond reason, but Zoro and Mariangely were officially a couple among the crew, although Zoro himself would never admit to it.

It was strange for that stupid moss head to fall in love with a woman, or any person for that matter. It just seemed out of place. As much as Sanji may think he likes Mariangely, even more so than Nami-san and Robin-chan, she just doesn't strike him as Zoro's type, if that moss head even had one.

Zoro also hardly knew Mariangely. Zoro trusted no one before they proved their loyalty, man or woman.

One of the qualities he actually did admire about Zoro, although he would never tell him that, was the fact that he didn't trust easily. Sanji, for better and for worst, would always trust a lady despite his better judgment. Even when he knew Robin was formerly an enemy he couldn't bring himself to care about her past. He was secretly grateful for Zoro for keeping an eye on Robin during those first couple of weeks.

Although Mariangely didn't have any former bad dealings with the crew, she was still an unknown. The crew, save for Luffy, didn't have the chance bond with her before she became a Strawhat. It wasn't like when Chopper, Franky, or Brook joined, since they went through some hardship to form their bond. In fact, the way they all just willingly accepted and loved Mariangely was kind of unnerving. He actually wanted to kill Zoro when he first saw him holding hands with his Mariangely, which was beyond the pale even for him.

Luffy was nearly jumping up and down in excitement, unaware of Sanji's concerns. "I can't wait to see Fishman Island."

Nami slightly titled her head away from Luffy. Unlike the others, she didn't care to ever see a fishman again. Despite herself, the mere mention of that race brought up memories of Arlong.

Mariangely smiled at the thought of seeing the underwater city. "I've heard Fishman Island is a treasure trove of history and underwater gold. Any pirate could easily get rich scarping the bottom of the island."

Nami's eyes turned to belli, forgetting all her previous worries. "Treasure!"

Robin lifted her head in thought at the mention of history. She wondered if a Poneglyph was on the island given what she learned back on Skypiea. "But until that time, what do we know about the island we are currently heading towards?"

Nami quickly cleared her mind. "Not much, I'm afraid. It seemed to be just an isolated island with no known civilization. However, since the map I have from that pirate town is outdated, I can't be sure."

"As long as it isn't a marine island or some random pirate's base, we should be fine," Zoro assured in a bored tone.

Mariangely gently squeezed his hand. "I bet you would love if it was a marine base just so you could practice before entering the New World."

Zoro smirked at her. "You know me too well."

Sanji had to keep himself from gagging at the look those two were given each other. Damn that moss head. Mariangely was meant adore him.

Zoro took notice of Sanji's glares and just gave him a smug look as he pulled Mariangely closer.

Sanji's eyes narrowed even more. Yep, he was going to poison that moss head's food tonight.

The day passed slowly as the Strawhats went a long with their daily tasks. Mariangely mostly hung out with Zoro and watched him train. They talked about random nothings that bored anyone that got near them.

Robin was quite disturbed at how out of character Zoro was acting, but could find no will to voice her concerns. She could easily just chalk Zoro's change in attitude to young love, but she did not feel that was the case. Still, it was none of her concern how someone acted in a relationship.

"Hey Luffy, what exactly is Mariangely's job on the ship?" Usopp asked as he sat on the rails, fishing with his captain.

Luffy titled his head in thought. "I don't know. I haven't asked her or even thought about it. But does it matter?"

Usopp frowned. "I guess not. It's just kind of odd. I mean, everyone should have a duty on the ship."

"Zoro doesn't really have a duty," Luffy pointed out.

"This is different," Usopp said harshly. "Mariangely needs some kind of job. Save for watch, which she does with Zoro lately, she doesn't do anything on the ship. At least Zoro raises the anchor and trains to become stronger."

"I guess I should ask her," Luffy finally said as he got up and made his way towards Zoro and Mariangely.

Mariangely looked up when she heard Luffy's approached. "Hey, what is it, captain?"

"I wanted to know what job you wanted," Luffy said bluntly.

Mariangely was surprise about the question. "I've never thought about what my duty would be here. You didn't exactly ask when you demanded that I join."

Luffy began to chuckle as he rubbed his head. "I guess I didn't."

"What was your job on your old ship?" Zoro asked.

Mariangely looked very uncomfortable for a moment. "I...I was a..."

Luffy's eyes widened in realization. "I know, you were a..."

"I WAS NOT!" Mariangely screamed, catching some of the crew's attention. She quickly calmed down. "I mean, I was a scout on my old ship. Basically, I was the one who went onshore to make sure the island or city was safe for my crew."

Luffy blinked. That was a kind of an odd and pointless job. Then again, he couldn't think of anything else for her to do at the moment. The only jobs he could think of off the top of his head were cabin boy or swabbie, which were jobs he was certain Mariangely wouldn't want.

"Okay, you're a scout," Luffy said after he had finished his train of thought.

This made Mariangely all too happy.

* * *

"We should be arriving on the island soon," a man said. He was tall with light brown hair that came into a ponytail with dark brown eyes. He wore long blue coat that seemed to highlight his lanky frame.

The other man, who was a little shorter than the first with jet-black hair and green eyes, nodded. "Good. At this rate we should be arriving there some time tomorrow."

The first man had a worried look. "Even with this waterway short cut and Aaron's abilities, the Strawhats will still beat us there by nearly half a day. At this rate, we may be too late to stop her."

"We still have to try, Tommy," the second man said. "Even if we fail to save Strawhat Luffy and his crew, we still can't allow Mariangely to have her way again."

Tommy snorted. "I don't intend to. I will never forgive her for what she did to my brother and our crew. One way or another, that witch will be stopped."

The other man nodded. "I understand your frustration, but we must not underestimate her again. She has a powerful ability that could destroy what's left of us."

Tommy sighed. "I know, James. I just want justice."

"And we shall have it," James said as his eyes narrowed. "One way or another."

* * *

The Sunny reached the island without incident and the Strawhats prepared to debark. From the looks of things, it was an autumn island in midseason and the weather was nice and cool without being too chilly.

"Wow, it has been awhile since we've been to an autumn island," Chopper said as he looked at all the multicolored leaves. Some even blew onto the Sunny.

"We should break into groups," Nami said. "I want to chart this island before we leave."

Mariangely looked at Nami. "I thought this island was already charted."

"It is, but as I said it's outdated," Nami stated. "I want to make sure there has been no major changes here since the last decade."

"You take mapmaker very serious," Mariangely half joked.

Nami smiled. "If I want to make a map of the world, I can't half-ass it."

Mariangely chuckled at the young woman's determination.

"So, how are we're going to split up this time?" Franky asked.

Luffy thought about it for a moment. "Okay, Sanji can go with Nami, while Chopper and Robin look for supplies."

Sanji was happy to hear this. "I'll protect Nami-san with my life."

"Hm, you're actually acting like a captain," Franky humored.

Luffy then grinned, "I'll take Mariangely with me."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. That was a little strange. Luffy usually doesn't bring people with him when he wanted to explore. Luffy usually just left and one of them had to go after him, usually himself. Then again, Luffy had taken a special shine to Mariangely just as he had.

For a faction of a second, he felt himself becoming jealous of his captain. How dare he spend time with his Mariangely. He should be the one escorting Mariangely through this island. Not that brat.

Zoro froze the moment those thoughts went through his head. Did he just call Mariangely 'his' and was he actually jealous of his captain just for spending time with her? Not to mention he just called his captain a brat. What the hell was going on? He had never been jealous of Luffy, especially not over some girl. Sure, Mariangely and he were 'together' but he wouldn't call them a couple, despite what the rest of the crew thought.

Dammit, he had been fuzzy in the head since Mariangely came on board. It was becoming frustrating.

"Hey, you're okay, Zoro?" Luffy asked as he looked at the swordsman. "You look kind of pale."

"It's nothing," Zoro said as he rubbed his head. Maybe Kuma also damaged his brain when he gave him Luffy's pain.

Luffy frowned. "Liar."

Zoro winced at that word. His captain knew him too well. "Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" he finally asked.

Luffy nodded as he turned towards Mariangely. "I'll be right back."

The two men then made their way to the gallery. There, Zoro quickly closed the door behind him.

"There's something wrong with Mariangely," Zoro said bluntly.

Luffy's eyes widen in horror. "What, is she sick!"

Zoro shook his head. "Not that kind of wrong. She's...she's just isn't right."

Luffy titled his head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Zoro wasn't sure what he meant. Everything about Mariangely was just confusing. On one hand, he barely knew the girl. They have known each other for less than a week, yet he found himself telling her stuff that no one on the crew knew, not even Luffy.

He had also found that he wasn't the only one affected. By all accounts, everyone loved Mariangely. Nami and her were practically girlfriends and he could hear Robin and Mariangely talking late at night about history when Mariangely took a break from watch.

She wasn't overly playful, but she did play games with Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp. She even helped Luffy pull a successful prank on Usopp.

She also got along very well with Brook, talking about music and old pirate stories. Although she did kick him in the groin, if he had one, when he asked for her panties. Of everyone in the crew, the only person she hadn't gotten close to was Franky, but that was mostly because he teased her about her relationship with him.

Really, she was the perfect crewmate and that what unnerved him.

"She...she just seems too perfect," Zoro finally said.

"Too perfect?" Luffy questioned.

"She gets along with everyone," Zoro explained further. "Even Robin loves her and she's usually distant with strangers."

"She wasn't distant with Brook," Luffy pointed out.

"She actually got to know Brook before he joined," Zoro countered. "She isn't normal. No one is that perfect."

"What do you think it is?" Luffy questioned after a moment of silence.

Zoro ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know. This girl just got me so confused."

"Are you sure it isn't your hormones?" Luffy asked.

Zoro looked at his captain in shock. "What?"

"Nami said that men act weird when their hormones act up," Luffy stated. "I asked Nami why you were acting so strange around Mariangely lately and she told me the reason."

Zoro had to keep himself from growling. That witch needed to learn to mind her own business. "What else did she tell you?"

Luffy tapped his finger against his face. "She also said you were sexual repress or something and you needed to be laid. But she wouldn't tell me what that meant. Although Chopper took a lot of notes and promised to show me the results."

Zoro quickly took a mental note to kill Nami, slowly. "Luffy, what do you think of Mariangely?" he chose to ask instead.

Luffy put his hand on his chin. "She's nice and friendly. She's really spunky like Nami, but can as calm like Robin. She also has a great sense of humor," he chuckled as he thought about the prank she helped him pulled on Usopp.

Now that he really think about it, though, Zoro was right. She did act a little too perfect. The minute she walked onboard the ship, she just got along with everyone. For Luffy, this was no big thing since anyone who sailed under his flag was pretty much family to him, but it wasn't always the case with some of his other crewmates.

When Nami joined, Zoro didn't care for her too much. He thought she was a 'deceitful witch' and believed he could have gotten a better navigator. Zoro didn't really warm up to Nami until after the whole thing with Arlong. Zoro was also very mistrustful of Robin, along with most of the crew, when she first joined.

Sanji and Zoro fought like dogs and cats, as Nami put it, and seemed to hate each other most of the time. Everyone on the crew knew better and they did watch each other's back when it counted.

When Chopper joined, he was so shy and scared around them that he barely interacted with anyone besides Vivi, Nami, and him for days.

They all hated Franky before he joined, and no one besides Luffy wanted Brook to join.

Really, the only person who fit in with his crew with no real growing pains or past differences was Usopp and there was that incident...but he chose not remember that. Zoro could also count, but there was really no crew when he joined.

"I see what you mean," Luffy finally said. As soon as any doubt about Mariangely entered his mind, however, Luffy felt a sense of calm overtake him. Why was he worried about Mariangely? She was his crewmate and that was the end of it.

Zoro noticed the changed in his captain's demeanor. "Are you okay?"

"Mariangely is just one of those people who gets along with everyone. She just has one of those personalities," Luffy said before he broke into a smile. "I mean, she managed to get along with you and you're not easy, Zoro."

"Yeah, well..." Zoro trailed off. He also felt a sense of calm overcome him. Why was he concerned about Mariangely again? Maybe he was uneasy about having someone this close to him. Besides Luffy, he completely trusted Mariangely. She could do no wrong.

Although it was strange he felt this trusting and loyal towards a woman he met just a week ago. There was no gradual build, it just happens.

A knock on the door broke both men out of their trance.

"Are you finished, Luffy?" Mariangely asked. "Nami and the others have already left and we want to be back by sundown."

Luffy's eyes lit up in excitement. He had nearly forgotten about the island. Without another word, he ran out the door, nearly hitting Mariangely with it.

"Dammit, watch where you're going!" Mariangely exclaimed.

Luffy just laughed and grabbed her wrist. He then pulled her along as they went on their adventure.

Zoro leaned against the rails as he watched them leave. He felt another sense of uneasiness come over him again, but he quickly pushed it aside. Mariangely would be fine. She had Luffy to protect.

* * *

"James, the island is finally within sight," Tommy said as he looked through his telescope. "I can also make out the silhouette of what looks to be a ship. It must be the Strawhats."

James nodded. "Sail the ship to the other side of the island."

This took Tommy off guard. "Aren't we going to warn them?"

"Regardless of our motives, we are still a rival pirate crew. The Strawhats have no reason to trust us and they would be stupid if they did," James explained. "Also, since they're most likely under Mariangely's influence, they won't listen to us willingly."

Tommy nodded. "I understand."

"Be patient a little longer," James assured. "We won't let that witch get away. One way or another, we'll stop this seed of chaos here."


	5. Witch in Sheep Clothing

Luffy was practically bouncing off the rocks as her explored the island with Mariangely. The island had many hills with only a few trees in the distance. They were currently walking a long the side of the cliff, which declined into the sea below. The sound of the water crashing onto the rocks below seemed to complete the serene scene.

"This island is so quiet," Luffy said as he looked around for anything to do. He was actually very bored and disappointed by the lack of action. There should at least be some animals or something.

Mariangely chuckled. "You're a real man of action. Most people would enjoy being on an island like this, especially on the Grand Line."

"But it's so boring," Luffy moaned.

They kept walking until they reached the end of the cliff and were now staring out to sea. The day was quickly becoming clouding and the temper had dropped. Luffy knew it would be raining soon, which meant the others would be heading back to the ship soon. He still didn't want to go back, however, since it was still early. Even boring island was more interesting than staying on Sunny all day.

"This is a very nice view," Mariangely said as she stared out into the horizon and allowed her long hair to flap in the wind.

Luffy just hummed in agreement as he stepped in front of Mariangely to get a better view.

Mariangely spent the better part of a minute staring at Luffy's back before she spoke again.

"Tell me, why do you keep such a small crew?" Mariangely asked. "Robin and the others told me it was because you view everyone as family."

"Yeah," Luffy answered like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"But you barely know any of us," Mariangely pointed out. "Zoro, the first person you found to join you, has only known you for a couple of months. How can you trust everyone so blindly?"

"Because I know my crew's heart. We may hold our own separate dreams and desires, and fight some times, but we have a special bond that has formed since we've been together," Luffy explained. He then paused for a moment. "It's really hard to explain."

Mariangely glanced at Luffy for a moment. "You really shouldn't be so trusting. In these seas, betrayal happens all the time."

"My crew would never betray me," Luffy said without missing a beat. "I trust my crew with my life."

Mariangely chuckled. "What a naive thing to think."

Before Luffy knew what was happening, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his upper back, not too far from his spin. He gasped in pain and surprise as he fell forward. He managed to catch himself before he hit the ground, however, and turned his head a full one-hundred eighty degrees to see who had attacked him. His eyes widened in shock as he saw a long knife embedded into his back. He was also disturbed by the amount of blood he was losing.

"What the..." Luffy stuttered as he felt his strength leave him. He shouldn't be feeling this weak from such a minor injury. Something was wrong.

"I'm surprise I actually managed to hit you so easily. You really do lower your defenses around your 'family'," Mariangely mocked as she smiled at Luffy. It wasn't her usual calm or mischievous smile. The smile was full of malice and dark delight.

Luffy grasped as he struggled to breath. "Mariangely...why?"

Mariangely rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me with such pathetic eyes. You were a fool to trust a complete stranger so willingly. Even without my powers you were all too easy to manipulate."

Luffy didn't understand any of this and attempted to stand up. He found, however, that his body just wouldn't function right. It took too much effort just for him to stay on his feet. It felt like he was covered in seawater.

"If you're wondering why you feel so weak, it's because my knife has sea stone embedded into the steel," Mariangely explained coolly. "Given the nature of your Devil Fruit ability, even that small amount should hinder your movements."

Despite Luffy's weakness, he glared Mariangely straight in her eye. It was beyond belief that one of his crewmates has actually stabbed him in the back. "Why?" he asked again.

"I guess you deserve something of an explanation before I send you to hell," Mariangely said as she walked over towards Luffy. "You see, Strawhat Luffy, I want your crew."

Luffy's eyes widen. "You're a bounty hunter?"

Mariangely chuckled. "I don't want your crew in that way, stupid," she then viciously kicked Luffy in the ribs sending him flying back. He was now laying near the edge of the cliff. "To put it simply, I want to become the new captain of your little band of pirates. Despite your size, you're all quite powerful and will serve my needs nicely."

"My...my crew will never follow you," Luffy said with venom as he tried to reach for the knife in his back, but the sea stones seemed to burn him.

Mariangely smiled. "Oh, but they will and you can't do a thing to stop me, _captain_."

Luffy attempted to get up to attack her, but only managed to get punch in the face for his trouble. That stupid knife was making him sluggish.

"Unfortunate for you, we can't have two captains and the crew's devotion towards you will only make complicate things. So, be a good little boy and die now," Mariangely finished as she kicked Luffy again.

The kick was so strong this time that it sent Luffy flying over the cliff side. Luffy knew if he fell over the edge, he would be finished. There was nothing but water and rocks below him. He quickly used his powers to stretch his arms and grab a nearby rock. He then managed to pull himself to the rock face.

"Too close," Luffy muttered.

"You really are a stubborn thing," Mariangely said as she looked over the side. "I guess you want a more painful way to die." She then pulled out one of her guns and aimed it at Luffy.

Luffy just stared at her.

"If you think you can just bounce it back, you are wrong, _captain_ ," Mariangely said casually. "I am aware of your abilities, which is why I bought a special set of bullets just for you. It cost me over a million belli, but my guns are loaded with sharpen sea stone bullets. More than enough to penetrate that rubber body yours."

Luffy's eyes widened in horror. He didn't know such bullets even existed.

"As I said before, die," Mariangely said as she shot Luffy point blank in his chest.

Luffy was able to move just enough to keep the bullet from piercing his heart, but that did little to help. Luffy could feel the bullet rip through his body and exit in a fountain of blood. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as his grip loosen on the rock. With his consciousness fading, he let go and fell into the cold sea below. This time he could do nothing to save himself and within moments he was swipe beneath the waves. One of his last memories was of Mariangely's smug face.

He began to realize that his crew was in great danger. He couldn't die here. He had to warned them somehow and tell them of what Mariangely have done. But all his strength was gone and he was already sinking.

This was his fault; he had failed his crew. It was he who trusted and invited Mariangely to sail the seas under his flag. He had been such a fool. Luffy then lost his hold on consciousness and succumbed to the blackness of the sea.

Mariangely watched dispassionately as Strawhat Luffy disappeared underneath the water. Even if he wasn't a Devil Fruit user, the combination of his injures along with the sharp rocks below made survival nearly impossible. Strawhat Luffy was no more.

Mariangely began to laugh to herself. It was all too easy. She had expected someone of his bounty and reputation to be more of a challenge to her. Instead, he was by far the easiest of all her victims. At least her other victims began to suspect something wasn't right, but, as Nami said, their _captain_ was an idiot.

Now, the only thing left to do was to come up with a persuading story to explain Strawhat's fate to his former crew. Although they would believe her no matter how outrageous her lies were, it was best to cover all her bases. Her powers didn't work so well if there was any doubt in her victim's minds.

Mariangely was so busy musing about the story that she would tell the Strawhats that she nearly failed to notice a ship sailing close the cliff. It took her only a fraction of a second, however, to recognize its mark.

"Dammit, they followed me way out here," Mariangely growled in annoyance. This was not something she was expecting, but at the same time she could use their arrival to her advantage. In fact, this worked out perfectly for her.

Mariangely's smiled returned as she took noticed that Strawhat's treasure hat was lying on the ground, moving steadily in the wind. It must have fell off after she had stabbed him since it had several splatters of blood on it. This would work fine as well.

Mariangely then pulled out another knife she had and stared at it for a moment. She hated to tarnish her perfect skin, especially with all the hours she put in to make it so smooth, but she had no choice if she wanted her plan to fully work. Besides, having the mighty Strawhats as her subordinates would make it more than worth it, especially the all too handsome pirate hunter.

She felt herself blush at the thought of the swordsman. It wasn't her intention to fall for Roronoa Zoro. Relationships were the last thing she wanted or needed, however, there was something that attracted her to him. Maybe it was his free spirit and strong sense of self that made Mariangely want to break him and make him hers.

It could also be the strong sense of competition she felt towards Strawhat. Zoro was not a man to give loyalty to anyone. Most would even call him a poor choice for any crew given how stubborn and arrogant he was. He wasn't one to follower orders, which was crucial to the running of any ship. Strawhat Luffy, however, not only had Zoro's loyalty, the man nearly worship the boy. If Strawhat told him to throw his sword aside and walk through the depths of hell, he would do it without blinking.

She still recalled the night that Zoro told her how he took all of Strawhat's pain when the Warlord, Kuma, threatened to kill him. Even before that, the entire crew, even another rival crew, had turned down an offer from Kuma to spare their lives in exchange for Strawhat's head. Never once had she heard of such blind loyalty from anyone, save for those who served her, and Strawhat did it with no special powers.

She didn't know what kind of aura he had to find such a faithful crew, but it hardly mattered now. Soon, his former crew would be her servants and she would have Zoro all to herself.

Mariangely then took her knife and began to drag it across her skin.

* * *

Zoro paced back and forward in worry as the sun fell over the horizon as he waited for Mariangely to return. They were late. Mariangely and Luffy should have been back hours ago. It was already an hour passed dinner.

"You don't have to pace like a wild animal," Nami said in mild annoyance as she relaxed in her lawn-chair. "I'm certain Luffy and Mariangely are fine."

Zoro stopped to look at Nami. "You and I both know that Luffy would never be late for dinner."

Nami couldn't think of anything to say. She knew Zoro was right, but she wanted to stay positive. Besides, there was nothing on this island that could hurt someone like Luffy. Most of the wildlife around here was stuff that even Usopp could handle.

"Damn that rubber idiot for making us wait," Sanji grumbled. "Nami-san, Robin-chan, and Mariangely-chan's food are getting cold. Speaking of Mariangely-chan, he better not have gotten her hurt."

"I can go out to look for them," Chopper offered. "I should be able to track them by their scent."

"Given that we nearly have no sunlight left, I don't want you running around in the dark," Nami said.

"We may have little choice," Robin said with a hint of worry. "Even if the island itself isn't dangerous during the day, who knows what creatures could be lurking at night. Given that Chopper is a herd animal, he could be eaten alive."

Chopper was horrified to hear this.

During this time, Usopp was looking out of his goggles for Luffy and Mariangely from the Observatory. His eyes widened when he saw something limping towards the ship. It took him a moment to recognize the figure as Mariangely.

"Mariangely's back!" Usopp yelled to the others, catching their attention.

"What about Luffy?" Franky asked.

Usopp looked through his goggles again, searching for his rubber captain. "I don't see him," he finally noticed Mariangely's condition. "Mariangely has been hurt!"

Now the entire crew was worried.

Zoro didn't wait another moment as he jumped off the ship and ran to meet Mariangely. He was left speechless in what he saw.

Mariangely was covered in deep cuts all over her body. Her once flawless pale skin was dirty with her own blood and mud. She also had a serious stomach wound that could easily kill her from blood lost if she moved too much.

"Zoro..." Her voice was thick with pain and fatigue. Her eyes were also void and empty like she had seen something terrible.

"Mariangely, what happened to you?" Zoro demanded. He would kill the person who dare do this to her.

Mariangely took several deep breaths. "We were attacked. A pirate crew took Luffy and me by surprise. It...it was the crew that sold me to that brothel."

Zoro's eyes widen in shock. "What?"

"I'm sorry..." Mariangely stuttered weakly. "We tried to fight them off, but they had sea stone and were able to subdue Luffy."

"What happened to Luffy?" Zoro asked in fear. Luffy was strong, but even he was helpless against the power of sea stone.

Mariangely looked down in shame as she took out a bloody and torn strawhat. "I'm sorry..."

Zoro stepped away in disbelief. "No...it can't be..."

"Those bastards killed him," Mariangely said in tears. "They threw him into the sea. I...I couldn't save him."

Zoro could barely comprehend Mariangely's words. This couldn't be happening. There was no way Luffy would be killed like that. After everything they've been through, it all couldn't end like this. Luffy beat a god, how the hell could some random pirates kill him? He knew Luffy wasn't invisible or immortal, but Luffy would never die this way.

"Where were you attacked!" Zoro demanded, he practically growled at her. Maybe there was still hope.

Mariangely seemed to have read Zoro's thoughts. "There was nothing but rock under the cliff he was thrown under. Even if he didn't drown, he would have been impaled. There's no hope for him, Zoro."

"You don't know that!" Zoro growled, starling Mariangely. "Tell me!"

"It...it was near the east side end of the island." Mariangely said.

Without another thought, Zoro took off and disappeared into the coming darkness.

Mariangely looked annoyed as she watched Zoro leave. She knew that man was loyal to Strawhat, but his devotion was sickening. How was he able to overcome her powers like this?

"Mariangely-chan, are you alright!" Sanji yelled as he ran towards her. Chopper was right beside him in his Walking Point.

Mariangely gave a small smirk to herself. It really didn't matter. Strawhat was dead and soon Roronoa Zoro would be hers along with the rest of the crew. Nothing could stop her.


	6. A Crew in Disarray

Zoro kept running, taking no mind to the building storm clouds or the cold droplets of ran hitting his shoulders and head. He just kept running, heading towards the east side of the island. Logic told him that he should not have left in such a hurry. As much as he may deny it to his crew, he knew his sense of direction wasn't the best. In his mind, going east and to the right was the same thing.

Nonetheless, he didn't have time to drag another one of his crewmates with him. If Luffy were still alive, he would be in critical condition and needed saving as soon as possible. There wasn't a moment to waste.

After nearly an hour of running back and forward through the bumpy plains, Zoro finally found the cliff Mariangely was speaking of. He was certain this was the right one this time given that he could see signs that a struggle had taken place here. It was very subtle and most people wouldn't have noticed a thing, but Zoro could see the signs of blood in the grass and the indent of what looked to be someone kneeling on one knee. It had to be Luffy.

Calming his rapidly beating heart Zoro walked towards the cliff and looked around for any signs of his captain. It was dark now, making it nearly impossible to see anything, but Luffy's red vest should be visible even in the dark. It was a blessing that Luffy liked wearing bright colors given how much he tended to fall into the water.

"Luffy!" Zoro screamed. "Can you hear me?" Only the crashing of the waves answered him. "Dammit Luffy, answer me!"

Still he heard nothing. By this time, the rain had become heavier and Zoro was quickly becoming soaked in the downpour. He was freezing, but he didn't care. He kept his glaze glued to the water below.

Zoro could make out the outlines of rocks at the bottom of the cliff. They were indeed as sharpened as Mariangely had stated. Falling from here would certainly be instant death. Still, he just couldn't bring himself to believe that Luffy was dead. Luffy...he just couldn't die like this.

"Luffy, you son-of-a-bitch, answer me!" Zoro screamed again. He waited for any answer, but received none except the sounds of the crashing waves.

He wanted to climb down the rock's face, but knew that such a move would be suicidal. He was still not in top form since Thriller Bark and it was too dark to see anything. One false move and he would plummet to his death. Him being dead would help no one.

"Luffy, please answer me!" Zoro screamed desperately; his voice was close to pleading. He began to shake as only the roaring thunder heard his pleas.

Slowly, the realization that Mariangely was right began to sink in. He felt ice form in his stomach and his throat went dry as he accepted the bitter truth. His captain was dead.

Zoro could feel something warm beginning to form in his eyes as the impact of the lost hit him full force. There was no escaping this reality. He wanted to yell. He wanted to curse any god or deity that dared take his captain, his best friend, away. More than anything, however, he wanted blood.

He eyes hardened with hatred, drying his unfallen tears. His thoughts immediately turned towards the people responsible for this atrocity. Not one of those bastards would leave this island alive. He would see to that personally. Even if he had to fight to his last breath, he would avenge his captain.

Without another thought he took out his Wado Ichimonji and raised it over his head. He didn't care if lighting dared to strike him. At this moment, no god or demon would dare mess with him.

"I once said I would never lose again, but I have failed at my promise. Even after all I have given, it wasn't enough to save you," Zoro said bitterly as he choked down the tears that began to form again. "But I vow on this sword that I will avenge your death and carry on your dream." He then paused for a moment. "Is that okay, Pirate King?"

The roar of the thunder answered his vow and that was good enough for Zoro.

* * *

"What, that can't be true!" Nami screamed in disbelief.

The crew was all gathered inside the infirmary watching Mariangely be tended to by Chopper. Despite the horrible news, the little reindeer fought to keep his emotions in check as he cared for his injured crewmate. At the moment, Mariangely was the one in need of his attention.

"I'm afraid it is," Mariangely said sadly as she glanced at the strawhat lying on the table. "I saw him die with my own eyes."

"Luffy's too strong to just die by some no name pirate crew!" Nami argued back, she was on the verge of tears.

"Even if Luffy is….was strong, a Devil Fruit user cannot fight against the power of sea stone," Robin said morbidly. She looked to be near the verge of tears herself, but somehow managed to control herself. "Because Luffy's entire body was rubber, even a little sea stone could render him helpless."

Nami began to shake, knowing Robin's logic was right, as always. Still, it was too hard to believe that someone like Luffy could just disappear like this. There was, however, no denying reality. The added fact that Robin was referring to their captain in past tense made it even realer.

Usopp didn't bother to hide his emotions as tears ran down his eyes. "He...he just can't be dead. Luffy can't die this way! He's going to be the Pirate King!"

No one could think of anything to say. They all knew as pirates that their lives were always at risk, but it felt too surreal that one of them has actually died. Not just one of them, but their captain.

Brook sat in a corner with his head down. He looked completely shattered. "What shall become of the crew? Who will take charge of the ship?"

Each of the Strawhats looked at each other. It was something they hadn't thought of before now and they knew with Luffy gone they needed a new captain. Still, none of them, not even Robin, wanted to give an answer.

Sanji took several puffed of his cigarette before answering. "Normally, the running of a ship after the captain's dies falls into the hands of the first mate."

Robin nodded solemnly. "Normally yes, but we have no official first mate."

Mariangely looked surprise to hear this. "What, I thought Zoro was the first mate?"

"Although he was the first to join, Luffy never officially gave him the title of first mate," Robin explained. "In fact, Zoro never had a job title or an official duty."

Mariangely nodded. This crew was even more messed up than she thought. Who the heck sails these seas with no second-in-command? Then again, maybe she could use this to her advantage.

"Even if Zoro takes the role as captain, it just won't be the same," Usopp muttered.

Franky nodded in agreement as he wiped his own tears, although he tried to hide his pain behind his glasses. "Yeah, bro. Nothing will ever be the same."

"Speaking of moss head; he's still hasn't come back?" Sanji asked. The normally insulting name fell flat on his lips and everyone knew it was a halfhearted attempt at bringing normalcy.

"With his sense of direction, he could be anywhere by now," Nami said with worry.

"It's dangerous to be out there alone," Franky said. "I mean, we have pirates out there that were able to kill Strawhat and badly injure Mariangely. We should all stick together."

"Believe me, it would be far worse for those pirates to find Zoro than the other way around," Sanji said before he gritted his teeth, nearly biting through his cigarette. "I hope that bastard doesn't find them. I don't want him to slice those assholes up before I get to them. Simply cutting them isn't painful enough."

"Agreed," Robin said darkly as they both thought of breaking every bone in Luffy's murderer bodies.

"Even so, we still need a plan of attack," Nami said as she attempted to clear her head. "If these pirates have anymore sea stone then Robin, Chopper, and Brook will be in real danger."

"Done," Chopper said as he finished the last of the bandages. "Your wounds were pretty deep, but thankfully none of them were life threatening. There may be some scarring, but the medicine I use should make them lighter."

Mariangely cringed at the thought of having scars on her skin. The things she did to keep up appearances.

After another hour of discussion, the door to the infirmary flew open and a soaked Zoro walked in. His eyes were bloodshot showing that he has been crying recently. Knowing him, he would just blame the wetness on the rain. His eyes were also cold and hardened, something that none of the Strawhats had seen before. There was just something inhuman about his aura.

"Did you find him?" Sanji asked.

Even though he knew Luffy was dead, they could at least retrieve his body to give him a proper burial. It seemed wrong just to leave his body to lay on the bottom of the sea floor alone. Merry didn't have to suffer such a fate and neither should Luffy. It was also be good for the crew to at least be able to say goodbye to him.

Zoro shook his head. "I couldn't see a thing. Even so, I doubt there was much left of him if he hit the rocks below."

Sanji nodded as he lowered his head. "Were there any sign of his attackers?"

"None," Zoro growled.

There was another long uncomfortable silences.

"We were discussing our options," Nami said slowly, breaking the silence. "Namely, we were talking about who will be the new captain."

Mariangely looked at Zoro. "Since you were the first to join you are by all accounts the first mate. So, that means..."

"Don't you dare call me captain," Zoro cut her off harshly, startling Mariangely. No one has ever used that tone with her before.

"Zoro, as painful as it maybe, we need a captain," Robin said calmly. "None of us like it, but we must be logical."

"I refuse to be called or address anyone as captain until Luffy's avenged," Zoro said coldly, not backing down. "If we can't even do that much, then none of us deserved be called pirates or sail under Luffy's mark."

Mariangely's eyes widened in shock. "You're willing to disband the crew over this?"

"Our captain was murdered and one of crewmates was brutalized," Zoro said as he looked over Mariangely's bandaged body. "We have dishonored Luffy's flag and I won't sail anywhere until vengeance is met."

Sanji nodded. "I agree with Zoro. I would rather never cook again than sail under Luffy's mark at this moment."

"After everything Strawhat has done for us, the least we could do is beat the crap out of his murderers," Franky said as he slammed his fists together.

"Then, it's settled," Zoro said as he looked over each of his crewmates.

"Then, we leave at dawn," Nami said with finality. "I doubt those pirates have gone far at this time of night and their log pose shouldn't set for at least twelve hours."

Everyone nodded in agreement as they slowly left the infirmary, leaving Chopper to fully care for Mariangely.

Dinner passed slowly for the crew since no one really had an appetite. They forced the food down their throats, however, since they would need to be at full strength in the morning. They didn't know much about the enemy, but they knew they couldn't fail. Throughout dinner, each of the Strawhats took glances at the vacant seat. It became a constant reminder of their loss.

After dinner, everyone went straight to bed, although it was doubtful that anyone would be sleeping tonight. Zoro was the first to call watch and no one bothered to fight him for it. They knew Zoro needed to feel useful at the moment. Mariangely volunteered to keep Zoro company and the swordsman didn't decline. He would never admit it, but he needed someone with him tonight.

"This is all my fault," Mariangely whispered after nearly two hours of silences. "Those pirates were after me and Luffy got killed trying to protect me."

"It wasn't your fault," Zoro said as he listened to the rainfall and the occasioning sounds of thunder. The weather matched the mood of the crew perfectly. "Luffy would have done the same for any of us. The only guilty people are those who killed him."

Mariangely sighed. "Still..." She couldn't finish her thought.

Zoro glanced at Mariangely and suddenly his uneasiness returned tenfold. He didn't know why, but something felt fake about her grief. It could be because she hasn't know Luffy for long, but there was something more.

"Once we've avenged Luffy, where will we go from there?" Mariangely suddenly asked. "Are you really going to give up being a pirate?"

Zoro said nothing for a moment. "I honestly never wanted to be a pirate until I met Luffy. I truthfully hate pirates and see them as scum."

A stab of panic ran through Mariangely's heart. "So, you're really going to stop being a pirate after everything is done?"

Zoro closed his eyes in thought. "Even when Luffy's avenge, it still will not bring back his unfulfilled dream. As someone who has sailed by his side for so long, I simply cannot let his will just die on this island. I don't know about the others, but once everything is dealt with here I will continue to sail and achieve his dream for him."

"You're going to be the Pirate King?" Mariangely asked excitedly, her previous worry disappearing. A little too excitedly for Zoro's liking.

"It's the only thing that seems right," Zoro said as he looked at his Wado Ichimonji. "Luffy can no longer achieve his dream and it's up to us now to carry on his will. It may not mean much, but I want to shoulder his burden and place his hat on the island of Raftel myself."

"Much like how you carry your friend Kuina's dream," Mariangely said as she also glanced at Zoro's precious white sword. "It will be tough to carry two dreams on your back."

Zoro just nodded.

"Whatever you do, I will be by your side," Mariangely said as she wrapped her arms around Zoro's shoulders. "Together, we shall sail to the end of the world and conquer the seas."

Zoro glanced at Mariangely, but continued to say nothing.

"Who knows. I may even become your Pirate Queen," Mariangely said half-jokingly.

Something told Zoro, however, that she wasn't joking at all. In fact, she seemed all too happy about the situation. Was she happy about Luffy being killed?

Before he could fully process that question, he felt that strange calmness overtake him again. It kept telling him everything was fine, but he knew that it wasn't. Something wasn't right about Mariangely's story.

"Mariangely, how did you manage to escape once Luffy was murdered?" Zoro asked. He felt Mariangely stiffen against his back. It was very brief, but he felt it nonetheless.

"Luffy distracted them, allowing me to escape," Mariangely said calmly. "I was able to see what happened to him, however."

Zoro's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Mariangely asked before her eyes widened. "Do you think I had something to do with this?"

"Did you?" Zoro asked coldly as he narrowed his eyes.

"Are you suggesting I helped murder our captain?" Mariangely asked in anger and disbelief.

Before Zoro could answer, Mariangely slapped him hard across the face.

"How dare you! He was my captain too despite the short time I've knew him!" Mariangely yelled. "I thought we were family, but was all that just a load of bullshit!"

Zoro immediately felt guilt come over him. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was thinking."

Why did he doubt Mariangely? She was his crewmate and Luffy trusted her. Luffy's judgment about his crew or even people had never been wrong. Even when it looked like Nami and Robin had betrayed them, he had never lost faith in them. Still, why couldn't he shake this uneasiness?

Mariangely gave a deep sigh. "We're all frustrated, but we can't turn on each other now. Luffy wouldn't want that. No matter what, we must stick together." She then flipped her hair and played with a strain of her hair. "If we can't trust one another on these seas, then what hope do we have?"

Zoro knew that was true, but he felt like Mariangely was mocking him for some reason. But just like all those other times, he felt those thoughts being pushed aside.

"Yes, we must stay together," Zoro said as he squeezed Mariangely's hand. "I'm sorry for doubting you, Mariangely."

They were crewmates and their trust must be unquestionable. It was what Luffy would have wanted.

Mariangely smiled as she stroked Zoro's hair. "I forgive you, love."


	7. Trust and Betrayal

The rain continued through the night, but by morning the sky was completely clear. The birds were chirping in the air and greeted the new day, but none of the Strawhats were in the mood to feel even remotely happy. They barely finished eating their breakfast before they were all up on deck and ready to move out.

"According to Mariangely, the attack happened here," Nami said as she pointed to an area on her map. "Which means their ship has to be within this radius given the weather last night."

"That's still a big area to search," Sanji noted as he rubbed his chin.

"It's the only thing we have to go on," Nami said, sounding more than a little frustrated herself.

"Then, we should split up into groups," Zoro said. He then looked among his crewmates. "Robin and Franky will be group one. Brook and Nami will be the second. The love cook and Chopper will be group three, and I will go with Usopp." He then looked straight at Mariangely. "You will stay here on the ship."

Both Usopp and Mariangely were surprised by the arrangement. Usopp was graceful to being paired with Zoro, but not for the usual reason. With Zoro if he did run into Luffy's killers he wouldn't be the one that had to kill them. As much as he wanted to avenge his captain, he didn't feel comfortable at the thought of actually killing someone.

"But, I want to go with you," Mariangely protested. "I know this group of pirates. You need me."

"You're too injured to come with us. You would be a liability," Zoro said shortly. Besides, after last night, he didn't fully trust himself around Mariangely anymore.

Before Mariangely could protest further, Sanji gently put a hand on her shoulder. "It's better this way, Mariangely-chan. We can't let those shit heads hurt you again." He then gave a wide grin. "Don't worry, I'll give those shit heads a good kick in the head for you."

Mariangely looked like she was going to say something, but quickly gave up. She would have to bide her time for now.

"Okay, now that we're split up, here are the areas we should search," Nami said as she gave each of her crewmates a search grid. "We'll meet up here in about two hours. Send the usual signal if you find anyone."

Nami was about to add not to engage the pirates if one group found them, but knew that such a command was pointless. Even though they really didn't know the strength of their current enemy or how many there were, any group that found them would immediately attack regardless of the danger. They all wanted to pay those bastards back.

All the Strawhats nodded in understanding as they all too their copies of Nami's map. Usopp then handed each of his crewmate one of his fireworks.

"Let's go then," Zoro ordered as they went their separate ways.

The trip for Zoro and Usopp was mostly quiet, with neither of them having much to say.

Usopp was finding the whole thing too surreal. Although Luffy was dead, he still couldn't bring himself to fully acknowledge that fact. It was just too hard to believe that someone like Luffy could actually die, and so suddenly to boot. Yes, Luffy went through many situations where he could easily have been killed, but Luffy had always come out on top, with a grin on his face most of the time.

The only time he felt like Luffy was in real danger was when he was nearly beaten by that pigeon guy. He had never seen Luffy look so close to death as he watched his captain lay in a pool of his own blood. The added fact that he was nearly killed again after he had won against the marines since he unable to move was also burnt into his memory.

As they continued to walk, Usopp felt a pang of resentment fill his mind as he thought of Mariangely. She was there when their captain was killed and she did nothing to save him. If had been him, he would have stayed by Luffy's side even if it meant death for both of them. He may be a coward, but he would never leave any of his crewmates behind when it meant life or death.

Usopp knew he shouldn't judge Mariangely so harshly given the fact that he wasn't there to see what had happened, but nonetheless, the entire situation just felt wrong to him.

Not to mention this entire hunt felt hollow. Even if they did managed to punish Luffy's murderers it still wouldn't bring him back. It still wouldn't heal the emptiness that now filled the crew. It wouldn't solve anything.

This was all just something to distract themselves from their pain. It was easier to lash out in anger than to lie down in grief. He began to wonder if he even wanted to sail the sea anymore. How could he face his father and his captain and tell them that he allowed this to happen? That single thought made him sick.

Usopp was so deep in his thoughts that he had failed to notice that Zoro had suddenly stopped. He walked right into the older man's back, nearly knocking himself over. Usopp was about to ask the swordsman why he was stopping until voices reached his ear.

"James said the Strawhats landed on the other side of the island, right?" a voice asked.

"Yeah, we saw them dock in that direction yesterday and I doubt they would leave now even if they've log pose is close to setting given what happened," a second voice said.

Zoro's narrowed his eyes as dark intent filled his soul. It must be them. Without another thought he removed his bandanna and tied it around his head. He then carefully removed each of his swords as he stared at the two men who couldn't be any more than thirty feet away from him.

Usopp knew that look in the swordsman's eyes and he felt a slight pang of pity for the poor souls in front of them.

"So, how are we going to approach them anyway?" the first voice asked. "I doubt they'll just welcome us with open arms."

Zoro didn't wait another moment before he moved in. If he was lucky, he could kill one of them before they could get on guard. Although he didn't want to give either of them a quick death, he had to think of Usopp's safety.

One of the man, however, sense Zoro's approached. "Tommy, look out!" the man yelled as he knocked his comrade out of harm's way. Tommy just barely missed losing his head.

"The hell!" Tommy exclaimed in shock.

Zoro glared at the man. "I missed, good. I wouldn't be satisfied if I've killed you in one hit."

Usopp used this time to set off his firework, signaling the others.

The other man, who was a fairly short blond-haired with blue eyes, stared at Zoro for a moment. "Isn't that the Pirate Hunter?"

Tommy nodded. "No doubt. Only one man in the world uses three-swords."

The man then looked at Usopp. "And he must be Sogeking. Even without the mask it's obvious by just looking at the nose."

Usopp glared at each of the man. He briefly wondered which one of them did the deed. Neither of them looked strong enough to kill Luffy.

"Calm down. We're not here to hurt either of you or anyone on your crew," Tommy said in a soothing voice.

Zoro responded by pointed his sword at him. "Such lies won't stop me."

Before Tommy could blink, Zoro was on him again. This time, however, Tommy managed to defend himself by taking out his sai, catching both of Zoro's swords.

"Listen to me you fool," Tommy hissed.

Zoro knocked him away with the hilt of his sword and ruthlessly continued his attack.

"Dammit, looks like he won't listen to reason, Aaron," Tommy said. "We have to subdue him."

Aaron nodded, but before he could move to help his comrade, he was nearly hit in the back by one of Usopp's lead stars.

"I won't let you harm another of my crewmates," Usopp hissed as he fired several fire projectiles at him.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" Aaron asked in confusing.

"Don't try to play dumb!" Usopp yelled as he fired again. Aaron was able to easily dodge the sloppy attack. "Don't act like you're innocent! You killed him!" He began to fire even faster.

Aaron gracefully maneuvered around the projectiles, but it was mostly because Usopp was too emotional to aim straight.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Aaron said. "We haven't killed anyone since we've arrived on this island."

Usopp had tears flowing down his eyes as his anger built. "Liar! Fire Bird Star!"

A wave of fire in the shape of a phoenix flew at Aaron, taking him by surprise. He just barely jumped out of the way.

"Listen to me," Aaron demanded. "If you let us explain, we can tell you what happened to your captain and that woman you have aboard your ship."

Usopp narrowed his eyes in hatred. "Are you trying to mock us?"

Aaron tilted his head. "Huh?"

"You killed him," Usopp spat. "You killed him right in front of my crewmate's eyes."

Aaron was stun to hear this. "So you think..." He then shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment in anger. "Dammit, that witch struck again. We should have known she would pull something like this. She must have seen us sailing near here."

Usopp paused when he heard Aaron speak. "What are you talking about?"

"Listen to me, we didn't kill your captain," Aaron said steadily after he had calmed down. "That was the work of a devil that you have on your ship."

Usopp glared at him for a moment. "You mean Mariangely? Don't talk about one of my crewmates like that!"

"Your 'crewmate' is both a liar and a manipulative bitch," Aaron said coldly. "She has been using you the entire time."

Usopp aimed his Kabuto again. "I heard that lie too many times from others. You won't divide us that easily."

"Listen to me, are you going to stand there and tell me that everything has been normal on your crew since that woman joined has joined you?" Aaron argued.

Usopp paused at that very moment. Now that he really thought about it, he did make a good point. Mariangely may be his crewmate, but things had been a little strange since she arrived. It was almost like a strange spell had been placed over everyone.

Aaron took noticed of Usopp's change in demeanor. "I can explain everything. Just hear us out."

Usopp wanted to say no, but something told him to trust the man. There was something strange going on and it was impossible to deny it now. "Okay, I'll listen to what you have to say."

The sounds of Tommy and Zoro's battle reached their ears. Tommy was barely holding off Zoro who was mercilessly slashing at him. Usopp knew that in Zoro's current state of mind, he was beyond hearing him.

"But first we need to calm your comrade down," Aaron said casually as he held up both his arms. "Time Fastfryser!" he yelled.

Suddenly, Zoro felt himself unable to move an inch. It was like all his muscles were locked in place.

"What the hell!" Zoro exclaimed as he attempted vainly to move his body.

Tommy sighed in relief as he put his sai a way. "Not a moment too soon. He was about to overwhelm me. He's indeed a monster."

"What did you do to him?" Usopp demanded as he lifted up his Kabuto again.

Aaron didn't move from his spot as he kept his arms up. "I froze his movement. I ate the Time Time Devil Fruit, so I'm a time man."

Usopp blinked. "A time man?"

"I have the ability to control and manipulate time within a limited space," Aaron explained calmly, but sweat began to pour down his head. "Which is how I am able to stop your crewmate's movement since I have stopped time around him."

"Dammit, let me go!" Zoro yelled as he struggled against the powerful binds that was freezing his body.

"Not until you let us talk," Aaron said firmly.

"There's nothing to hear," Zoro growled.

Tommy looked at Aaron. "What exactly is going on?

"They think we killed Strawhat," Aaron said bluntly.

Tommy's eyes widen before they went back to normal. "Mariangely," he whispered coldly under his breath.

"I don't think, I know you killed him," Zoro spat. "You're the only ones on this island and we have a witness."

"You have been deceived," Tommy said as he crossed his arms. "The person who betrayed your captain was that witch, Mariangely."

Zoro was left speechless for a moment and he stopped struggling. "Mariangely," he repeated in disbelief. "Impossible. One of our own would never betray Luffy."

Usopp shook his head. "I don't believe it either."

"Mariangely is not one of your own," Tommy said coldly. "She's a cold-hearted demon who has been empowered by a powerful Devil Fruit."

"Devil Fruit?" Zoro repeated, calming down.

"Mariangely has the power of the Fame Fame Fruit," Aaron said, getting a hard edge in his voice. "It's a Devil Fruit that allows the user to influence other people's opinions and emotions towards them. She used her powers to gain your trust easily and turn you into her puppets."

Zoro nearly dropped his sword out of his mouth at the realization. Although he would normally never believe an enemy, that Devil Fruit fit too perfectly with the feelings he has been having towards Mariangely. He hadn't been able understand why he trusted her so much or how he even fell for her, but it all made sense now. She had been manipulating him.

Usopp on the other hand shook his head in disbelief. "I don't believe that."

Tommy turned to face Usopp. "Why do you trust her so much? You haven't known her long. Is betrayal really that unbelievable to you?"

"Luffy has never chosen wrong when it came to his crew!" Usopp yelled defensively. "He has never made a mistake, not once."

"But what if his decision was influenced," Zoro said slowly as he took everything in. "What if Luffy's natural trust in people was manipulated to allow him to accept Mariangely as his crewmate?"

Usopp was shocked to hear this coming from Zoro. "You can't actually believe them!"

"What they said just makes too much sense," Zoro said slowly. "I've always felt something strange from her, but I couldn't figure out what it was."

"Even before she met you, she had planned to infiltrate your crew and usurp your captain," Aaron stated. "From there, she would use the power of her Devil Fruit to manipulate you into making her the new captain."

"How could she plan all that?" Usopp demanded. "When we met her she was in a brothel to pay off a gambling debt. A brothel in which you sold her to."

Aaron chuckled humorlessly. "So, that was her story."

"The brothel was just a trick to gain sympathy," Tommy said in a deadpan voice. "Truth of the matter, we didn't sell her. She asked us to drop her off that island after she took control of our crew in much the same way she's trying to do to you."

Zoro's eyes widened in shock. "This happened to you?"

"Yes," Tommy hissed hatefully. "Like you, we found Mariangely in dire straits a little over a year ago. We've just entered the Grand Line and we found Mariangely near death on one of the first islands we explored. She claimed that she was left there to rot by her former crew."

Aaron nodded. "Our captain, being the person that he was, took pity on her and offered her a place on his crew until she was back on her feet. Within a matter of days, the entire crew fell in love with her and thought she was some kind of angel. We were completely taken in by her."

"A couple weeks after she joined the entire crew practically worship her as a goddess, even to the point that we disobeyed our captain to fulfill her needs," Tommy continued the story. His eyes had a far away look. "I...I even nearly killed Aaron once because I thought he was trying to steal Mariangely from me."

Zoro cringed when he heard this. To think that a similar pang of jealousy overtook him when Luffy went off with Mariangely yesterday.

"It all reached a head one day when our captain attempted to throw Mariangely out of the crew," Aaron said in a tight voice. "Somehow, he was able to see through Mariangely's spell and wasn't as effected as everyone else. By the time he acted, however, it was too late."

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked in fear. He almost didn't want to hear the end of the story.

"Mariangely found out about his plan and was able to rally us up to mutiny against our captain," Aaron growled at the memory. "With our own hands, we murdered our own captain in cold blood."

Usopp grasped in horror as he put his hand over his mouth.

Zoro also had a horrified look on his face.

"With...with our captain dead she officially assumed control of the crew," Tommy said. He looked to be near tears. "For months, we worked for her like slaves and we thought nothing of it. We actually enjoyed being able to serve her."

"But...if she had all of you under her control, why did she leave your crew?" Usopp asked in confusion.

Aaron chuckled. "Whether she got bored with us or thought we weren't worthy enough to take her into the New World, she wanted another crew. For reasons unknown to us at the time, she had taken a special liking to your crew, especially when she read about how you all burnt Enies Lobby to the ground. She ordered us to take her to that pirate town and drop her off. She then told us to sail off and never come back."

"But you did," Zoro stated.

"It took awhile, but over the course of a couple of days the spell she put on us began to wear off. Within a week, we had our minds completely back and realized the horrors that we've done," Tommy said as he shook with grief. "Our crew was completely broken."

Zoro stared at the two men. "And that's why you're here. To get pay back on her."

"It would be a lie if we said we came for your benefit," Aaron said steadily. "However, we wouldn't wish our fate on anyone."

Usopp shook his head. "I find this so hard to believe. How did you even learn about her Devil Fruit?"

"It was our captain that learned the truth actually," Aaron said. "While we were cleaning up the mess Mariangely left us, we found notes from our captain that was hidden in his cabin. From what we could guess, he scored over several books on Devil Fruits until he found one that matched Mariangely's ability."

"Such a powerful ability must have some kind weakness," Zoro stated in thought.

"The Fame Fame Fruit begins losing its power when the user falls asleep or is rendered unconscious," Tommy stated. "I'm certain you've noticed that Mariangely always take watch no matter how tired she is."

Zoro looked like a hammer had hit him. He was completely right. She even stood up with anyone who did have watch that night. He had thought it was strange, but cute.

"So...one our own betrayed us….?" Usopp whispered. If what they were saying was true, he could only imagine the feelings Luffy must had felt in his last moments. The mere thought of it nearly made want to throw up.

"Even with everything you've told us, I still can't wrap my mind around it," Zoro stated. "I can't tell if it's because I truly trust Mariangely or because I'm under the influence of a Devil Fruit."

"I can only ask you to trust your instincts," Aaron said.

"Bean Left!" Franky's voice rang out.

Aaron's eyes widened as he was nearly shot in the back. He was forced to drop his hold on Zoro and jumped back.

Franky glared at Aaron despite the fact that it was nearly impossible to see his eyes through the darken sunglasses. "Looks like we got here just in time."

Tommy reached for his weapon, but was cut off when several arms wrapping themselves around him, putting him into a vice hold.

"That is far enough," Robin said in a cold voice. Her blue eyes were as hard as ice.

Within a couple of seconds, the other Strawhats also came into view.

"Is that them?" Chopper asked as he ran towards the scene in his Walking Point. They didn't appear to be very strong.

"Has to be," Sanji said. "We've found no other shit heads on this island."

"How do you wish to deal with them?" Robin said as she tightened her hold on Tommy.

Tommy, for his part, made no attempt to escape. He instead looked towards Usopp and Zoro.

"Don't do anything!" Zoro finally said as he moved his arms around. They felt very stiff from being trapped in Aaron's ability.

All the Strawhats, save for Usopp, looked at the swordsman in shock.

"What do you mean, moss head?" Sanji asked as he looked the men over. "Aren't these the men who killed Luffy?"

"About that..." Usopp started, finding his voice.

Before he could say anything more, however, a loud shot rang out. Tommy's eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at his chest. He could see a red stain building on his chest and he began to cough up blood.

"Tommy!" Aaron shouted in horror as Robin released her hold, causing Tommy to slump to the ground.

"You dropped your guard," A voice said coldly. Everyone turned around to see Mariangely standing on a hill with her gun smoking. She gave Aaron a cruel smile. "Long time no see, Aaron."

Aaron glared coldly at the woman who had torn his life a part. "Mariangely."


	8. Revelations

Everyone stood perfectly still as they stared at Mariangely. She had a smug look of triumph on her face that none of the Strawhats had ever seen before. Despite how out of place it seemed, none of the Strawhats could find the will to question her on it.

"Mariangely-chan, what are you doing here?" Sanji asked after finding his voice. "You're supposed to be on the ship recovering."

Mariangely gave Sanji a warm smile that melted his heart. "I couldn't let you face these bastards alone. Not after what they did to Luffy."

"Bullshit, we've done nothing to Strawhat you manipulative little whore!" Aaron yelled.

"Don't talk to Mariangely-chan like that," Sanji growled, ready to charge the man and give him the ass kicking that he deserved.

"Your lies won't work here," Mariangely said smugly as she pointed her gun at Aaron and fired.

"Time Fastfryser!" Aaron yelled as he stopped the bullets moment before they hit him in the head.

Mariangely frowned at this turn of events. "I'd forgotten about your powers."

"He stopped the bullets in midair!" Chopper yelled in awe. "But I thought only that Foxy guy could do that!"

"Time Time Fruit," Robin said after witnessing Aaron's ability. "It's similar to Foxy's Slow Slow Fruit, but its abilities are far more advanced. From what I remembered reading the Time Time Devil Fruit gives the user the power to rewind, slow-down, fast-forward, and even stop time completely."

Nami's eyes widened in fear as she listened to Robin talk. "If that's true, he has a very dangerous ability."

While the crew was talking, Aaron calmly stepped away from the bullets and then allowed them fly passed him. "I won't die that easily, you witch."

Mariangely looked at each of her crewmates. "Help me avenge Luffy. It's what he would have wanted. Also, don't be intimidated by his powers. He can only use his Devil Fruit within a limited area and he needs his hands to activate his ability."

"You're all under her spell!" Aaron yelled at the other Strawhats. "All of you are under the influence of the Fame Fame Fruit!"

Nami blinked in confusing. "Fame Fame Fruit?"

Robin's widened when she heard the name.

"It's a lie," Mariangely said coldly. "This crew specializes in deceit and mistrust to break apart pirate crews. It's all a lie to confuse us since we've lost our captain."

"That's...that's your calling card, not ours," Tommy groaned as he slowly stood up.

"Tommy, you idiot, don't move!" Aaron yelled, but his friend just ignored him.

"It was your lies and influence that made us kill our own captain," Tommy spat as blood flowed out of his mouth.

Mariangely gave a sadistic smile. "Please, you killed your own brother all on your own. You personally stabbed him in the heart, remember."

"Brother?" Usopp questioned as he looked at Tommy. "Your captain was your brother?"

Tommy looked down in shame. "Yes."

"What are you talking about?" Brook asked in complete confusion. He had never felt so lost.

"This crew is so violent that not even a month after I'd joined they mutinied against their original captain and brutally murdered him. They then tossed his body overboard like day's old trash," Mariangely explained. Despite her best attempt to keep her face straight, there was a look of delight in her eyes.

"We only did it because you gave us the idea and used your ability to manipulate us!" Tommy yelled, causing him to cough up even more blood.

"Are you trying to suggest that Mariangely-chan could do such a horrifying thing?" Sanji growled. "How dare you blame a lady for your own sins."

Nami also narrowed her eyes. "You honestly expect us to believe our captain's murderers? Mariangely saw you kill him and no one in our crew would tell such a lie."

"Sis's right. It takes more than that to divide us," Franky growled, as he held up his left arm, ready to fire again.

"You will pay for what you have done to Luffy-san," Brook said in an icy tone as he slowly removed his sword.

"Are they really lying?" Robin whispered under her breath.

Unlike her other crewmates, she felt conflicted about what she was hearing. On one hand, she trusted and liked Mariangely and even saw her like a little sister. It actually unnerved her how protective she felt towards the younger woman and that was the main source of her conflict.

Why did she trust Mariangely so much? Although she had no reason to believe the pirates, she could not deny that there was something very off. Every time she tried to come up with an answer, however, she felt her mind fog over. Could this really be the power of a Devil Fruit?

Nami heard Robin's whisper. "You can't really believe them, Robin?"

Chopper nodded. "Mariangely would never do such a thing."

"But how do we know?" Robin questioned. "We have just gotten to know Mariangely and she could have easily lied to us about her past. What if everything they say is true?" She then attempted to recall everything she knew about the Fame Fame Fruit, but she was having problems thinking.

"What they're saying is no different than how Aokiji tried to divide us by telling us half-truths about you," Sanji countered.

"Not to mention the fact that these bastards killed our captain," Franky sneered, wanting to beat each of the men within an inch of their lives.

"And I'm telling you we didn't kill Strawhat," Aaron said, becoming more than a little impatient. "He's not even dead."

This announcement surprised everyone, including Mariangely.

"Luffy's alive!" Zoro exclaimed as his shock wore off. Could it really be true?

"Impossible, I saw him die!" Mariangely yelled.

Zoro glared at Mariangely when he heard the tone of her voice. It was like she wanted him to be dead.

"I must say, it wasn't from a lack of trying," Aaron said as he folded his arms. "When we were coming here we saw someone fall from one of the cliff sides. I used my powers to speed up time around our ship and we were barely able to reach the person in time. Imagine our surprise when we ended up fishing out the infamous Strawhat Luffy."

"Is he alright? What's his condition?" Chopper immediately asked. If Luffy were alive, he would need medical attention.

Aaron paused for a moment. "Honestly, he's in terrible shape. His heart stopped several times during the night, but our doctor was able to resuscitate him. Although his prognosis still wasn't good when we left."

"Why are you just now telling us this?" Usopp demanded. "You could have told us Luffy was still alive when we attacked you."

"Like I said, I don't know if he's even still alive at this moment given the shape he was in when we left," Aaron explained. "If I told you that he was alive before I told you about Mariangely and he was dead on our ship, you wouldn't have believed anything we would have to say."

"This is a bunch of bullshit," Mariangely said. Her face was twisted in anger and disbelief. "There's no way Luffy could still be alive."

Aaron glared at Mariangely. "As I said before, it wasn't from a lack of trying that he nearly died."

Tommy slowly got into a cross legged-sitting position while still holding his wound. "When we pulled Strawhat out of the sea, he had a knife in his back and had taken a bullet near his heart. It was only by divine luck that he didn't impale himself on the rocks below when he fell, otherwise he would have been dead for sure."

"But Luffy's immune to bullets," Chopper said immediately.

"He was shot by a sharpened sea stone bullet and the knife in his back also had sea stone embedded in it. Both of these weapons are very expensive, not to mention hard to find even on the black market. The bullets, especially, are perfect for piercing Strawhat's rubber body," Aaron said as he continued to glare at Mariangely. "Your captain wasn't just attacked, this was a planned assassination and Strawhat doesn't seem like the type who could be randomly stabbed, especially in the back. For him to be assaulted like this, he would have to have trusted whoever was behind him."

All the Strawhats knew what Aaron was implying.

"You think Mariangely was the one who attempted to murder Luffy," Robin said, speaking for everyone.

"More than certain," Aaron said.

Mariangely looked at each of the Strawhats. "You don't really believe him? You can't actually think I would attack or even purposely kill our captain. That man saved my life! Just as he saved all of yours!"

None of the Strawhats could think of anything to say.

"They could be lying about Luffy even being alive to throw us off," Mariangely quickly said.

Robin slowly nodded. "That is true."

"Then, we'll prove it," Aaron said slowly. "We can take you back to our ship and you can see for yourselves."

Tommy looked towards his comrade. "Aaron, you're not even sure if Strawhat is still alive."

"What other choice do we have?" Aaron asked. "He's the only proof we have of Mariangely's treachery."

Franky snorted at him. "You must think we're idiots if you believe we'll just come to your ship all willy-nilly. This could be a trap."

Mariangely smiled at Franky, knowing that her control was finally returning.

"Then, keep me," Tommy said, knowing that Aaron was right.

"Tommy..." Aaron started.

"I will stay here while one of you goes back to our ship with Aaron," Tommy continued. "If your crewmate doesn't return within the hour, then you can kill me."

Zoro could tell by the resolve in the man's voice that he meant every word. He was also in no shape to defend himself if they did decided to take his life.

Mariangely's narrowed her eyes. "What kind of trick are you trying to play?"

"No trick," Tommy said as he wiped the blood from his chin. "Alive or dead, Strawhat is on our ship."

The Strawhats looked at each other for a moment.

"I guess I'll go," Chopper volunteered. "If Luffy's as badly injured as they say, then I need to treat him."

Even if the pirates had a competent doctor looking over Luffy, he still wanted to treat his captain himself. No one knew Luffy's biology better than him, plus he needed to see for himself if Luffy was alive. He knew he shouldn't trust these people, but he couldn't give up the hope that Luffy was alright and their crew was no longer broken.

"I will go too," Zoro said sternly. Like Chopper, he needed to see Luffy for himself, even if it was just a corpse that would greet him. Besides, he couldn't allow Chopper to go to an enemy's ship by himself.

"You don't actually believe this sack of shit?" Mariangely sneered. "How can you be so trusting towards a man who brutally murdered his own family?"

Aaron wanted to attack Mariangely right then, but stood in place. The Strawhats outnumbered him and even with his powers he stood no real chance against all of them if they attacked at once. He also had Tommy to consider.

"That man, Tommy, has offered his life to us and that is enough for the time being," Zoro said without a moment of hesitation as he glanced at Tommy.

Mariangely looked towards each of the Strawhats to talk sense into the swordsman, but they said nothing. Even Robin had colder than usual expression on her face. She knew by their silence that they all agreed with Zoro.

Zoro then turned back towards Aaron. "Take Chopper and me to your ship."

The moment Aaron turned his eyes a way from Mariangely to answer him, he felt her move. Within seconds, Mariangely was right on top of him and attempted to stab him. He quickly used his powers to slow her movements just enough to keep himself from being impaled.

"Mariangely, what are you doing?" Usopp shouted in shock.

Mariangely didn't respond. Instead, she quickly turned around and kicked Aaron in the gut the moment his power wore out. Aaron took the hit and had the wind knocked out of him. Nonetheless, he was able to use his ability again to freeze Mariangely in place.

"Mariangely, there isn't any need to act this way," Nami said as she looked at her crewmate. What was wrong with her?

"If none of you have the balls to kill these men, then I will," Mariangely growled. "Luffy is dead! I saw him die with my very eyes and you're letting his murderers get away with it by filling you with false hope. It's all a trick to divide us and you've all falling for it. Luffy would be ashamed of all of you."

Without warning, most of the Strawhats felt a wave of guilt and shame wash over them. Mariangely's words hit each of them in their hearts. Were they so desperate for Luffy to be alive that they questioned one of their own?

Mariangely decided to push their guilt even further as she looked towards Nami and Robin. "You both have betrayed the crew for your own reasons, but Luffy never lost faith in either of you. Not even when he was told that you, Nami, had killed Usopp. Why can't you offer that same level of trust towards me?"

Nami was greatly pained by her words, but Robin didn't feel the same.

"That may be true, but Luffy is not here," Robin said somewhat coldly. "We are not obligated to think or act as he would."

Mariangely then turned towards Zoro. "You understand me better than anyone. Do you honestly think I would kill our own captain?"

Zoro stared at Mariangely with a blank expression. Truthfully, he really didn't know what to think anymore. On one hand, he did trust Mariangely and even felt that their relationship had moved beyond mere friendship, especially after last night. At the same time, however, his loyalty towards his captain came first.

"I know none of us are Luffy, but it seems wrong to turn against one of our crewmates like this," Usopp whispered mostly to himself. "It….it's like we're dishonoring his memory."

"At the same time, Mariangely's actions has seem kind of strange." Franky added as he rubbed his forehead. Damn, he was getting a headache.

Brook shook his head. How he wished Luffy were here now.

Tommy was beginning to wonder if the Strawhats were a lost cause. They seemed too far gone into Mariangely's power to see reason. Maybe if he was quick enough, he could run in and killed Mariangely before she could put her guard up. Even if it killed him, he had to put an end to this madness.

"Stop!" a familiar voice yelled.

All the Strawhats stood completely still when they heard the voice. They knew immediately who it was despite how strained sounding he seemed. They all turned in the direction of the speaker.

Mariangely looked like she had seen a zombie when she saw James walking towards the Strawhats with a limp looking Luffy on his back. The boy was mostly covered in a thick blanket that hid most of his face. Even with the blanket, however, he was still shivering as the cool wind blew over him. He was also very pale, showing that he was suffering from severe blood loss.

Nonetheless, Mariangely could see the fire in his eyes as he glared into her. It reminded her of that first day at the brothel. Even for the short time she had known Luffy, she had learned to fear that look. Strawhat Luffy was pissed. At the same time, she could see the look of sadness and betrayal in his face.

All the other Strawhats, however, had a completely different reaction to seeing their supposedly dead captain.

"Luffy!" they all yelled as they ran towards their captain. The only person who didn't join them was Zoro.

"Be careful. He's still very weak," James warned as he moved to keep the crew from crowding Luffy.

"Luffy, thank god you're alive!" Usopp exclaimed as happy tears fell from his eyes. He could hardly believe it. The nightmare was really over. They were whole again.

"Luffy, are you okay?" Chopper asked, immediately going into doctor mode, although tears were falling from his eyes. "You shouldn't be out if you're this wounded."

"Don't you dare scare us like this again you shitty idiot. Do you know how much grief you gave Nami-san and Robin-chan?" Sanji said in a tight voice as tears formed in his own eyes.

Aaron blinked in surprise. "Amazing. How did he recover so fast from such grievous wounds? At the most, he should still be comatose."

"James, what are you doing here?" Tommy asked, also surprise to see his crewmate. "How is Strawhat even up? He was near death when we left him."

James looked towards his comrade. "He regained consciousness not long after you left. He then insisted that I take him to his crew. I tried to tell him otherwise, but he wouldn't listen and nearly reopened his wounds trying to escape. So, it was decided it was best to reunite him with his comrades. From the looks of things, it seems he made the right call."

"How did you even find us?" Aaron continued to question.

"We followed the path of that firework," James said. "Strawhat said it was a common signal among his crew."

Luffy was breathing heavily and looked like he was fighting to stay conscious. "Mariangely..."

"Luffy, save your strength!" Chopper ordered firmly. He turned to his Heavy Point and attempted to take his captain from James' hold, but Luffy refused to move. His focus was solely on Mariangely.

"What is it, Luffy-san?" Brook knew by that look that Luffy had something important to say.

"Don't...don't trust Mariangely..." Luffy stuttered as his voice gradually got stronger. "It was her. She...she's the one who tried to kill me. She...betrayed...all of us."

All the Strawhats turned towards Mariangely and gave her glares that sent chills down her spin. She knew she had to regain control of the situation.

"He's obviously hallucinating and is under the influence of the pirates," Mariangely attempted to explain. "This is another ploy by them."

She then extended her influence among the crew, but found that their expressions didn't change. Why weren't her powers working?

"Luffy would never lie about something like that, even if he was hallucinating or drugged," Nami said coldly.

Sanji's eyes darkened as he stared at his former crewmate. "Mariangely, what those pirates said about you was true after all." He felt his body shake from both anger and grief.

How could he allow this woman to use his crew so badly? For the first time in his life, he truly hated a woman. Not just hate, despised. If it weren't for his code, he would have run up to her right now and beaten her into a bloody pulp. The mental image didn't even disturb him.

Brook also glared at Mariangely. Even without visible eyes, his anger shined out for all to see. "How dare you betray Luffy-san's trust."

Mariangely looked to Zoro for support, knowing that her influence was the greatest on him given all the time she had invested in turning him. But she was met with a cold scowl from him. At that moment, she understood why Zoro was referred to as a demon by people. She knew she had to escape now before her former crew killed her.

Aaron was too busy listening to what was going on around him that his hold on Mariangely had greatly weakened. With one swift motion, she kicked the time user so hard in the chest that his ribs broke on impact.

He screamed in pain as he released his power on Mariangely. Without a second thought, she dashed away from the Strawhats.

"Dammit, she's getting a way!" Franky yelled.

Zoro wasted no time going after her, ignoring the shouts from his crew. She wouldn't escape. Not after everything she had done. He would make sure this island became her grave.


	9. Temptation

Mariangely continued to run across the island as she cursed her luck. How had that boy managed to survive? She had shot him in the heart for god's sake and had seen him fell into the sea. Even if Aaron had used his ability to speed up time around the ship to get to Strawhat, there was no way he should have survived all of that.

Dammit, what did it take to kill that rubber bastard? Was he immortal or something?

She looked behind her and saw that Zoro wasn't too far from her. She knew it was futile to keep running from him. Even in his weakened state, he would chase her to the end of the island and she had no way to escape, given that she couldn't swim. Her options were limited. She had to figure out a way out of this.

After a few more minutes of thinking, a plan formed in her head. Despite how he was now, he was still under the influence of her Devil Fruit. With him away from the others if she focused all her powers directly at him, he should be more open to suggestions.

Mariangely began to smirk to herself. Yes, this could still work to her advantage. By the time this day was over, Zoro would be hers and she would have him personally cut off that rubber boy's heart.

The chase continued until Mariangely eventually reached one of the cliffs. She was now trapped and Zoro grinned. She was trapped like the little rat that she was.

"End of the line," Zoro growled as he removed his swords. He was a little unnerved, however, by how calm Mariangely was despite her situation. What was she up to now?

"So it would seem, Zoro," Mariangely said sweetly.

This unnerved Zoro even further.

"But do you really want to kill little old me?" Mariangely asked sweetly. "After everything we have shared, do you really want it to end this way?"

Zoro sneered at her. "What we 'shared' was a lie. It was all a facade created by your Devil Fruit."

Mariangely chuckled. "You give my powers too much credit. My ability can only influence people's opinions of me. It can't actually make people fall in love with me or anything like this. If you were attracted to me, it was all you."

"Lies," Zoro hissed hatefully.

"You know it's true," Mariangely smirked. "Even now, I can feel the hesitation flowing out of your body. You don't want to hurt me."

Zoro wanted to yell yes, he did want to hurt her, but he couldn't. That strange feeling had returned in full force and he was having a hard time fighting it. He could feel his previous anger beginning to fade and his body calming itself, just like those other times. Dammit, he had to fight it. After everything this woman had done, how could he still fall for her power? He was stronger than this.

"Zoro, it doesn't have to be this way," Mariangely purred as she walked up to the swordsman. "Even now, we can still sail together. We don't even need the rest of the crew. We can start a new pirate crew, better and stronger than those people," she whispered the last part into Zoro's ear, causing him to shiver.

"Why..." Zoro whispered in a tight voice.

Mariangely chuckled. "Why what?"

"Why did you do this to my crew?" Zoro asked as he attempted to calm his rapidly beating heart. Damn his body for betraying him like this.

Mariangely smiled. "I guess you deserve to know. You see, like all you Strawhats, I have my own dreams and desires to fulfill." She began to chuckle. "You see, Zoro, I want to be the Pirate Queen."

Zoro's eyes widened in disbelief. "Pirate Queen?"

"What, is it that hard to believe that a woman wants to claim the One Piece and gain all the glory in the world? Really, Zoro, I would expect better from you given your history," Mariangely said pleasantly.

Zoro knew she was referring to Kuina and her dream of being the greatest swordsman. It angered and disgusted him that she would dare compare herself to her. She was nothing like Kuina. He also felt angry with himself for even telling Mariangely about her. No one on the crew, save for Chopper, even knew Kuina even existed. Yet, he had told this horrible excuse for a human his life story.

Mariangely seemed to read Zoro's thoughts. "Me and your woman friend actually do have a lot in common. We both want to make it to the top in a male dominated world and we both sacrifice a lot to achieve our goals. Our methods are just different."

"You call using and betraying people a different method?" Zoro hissed.

"This is a world of pirates. You should know better than anyone that anyone who strives to be the best isn't a saint," Mariangely stated. "You use the tools that are given to you to get ahead, regardless of people's feelings."

"So, the tool given to you is the ability to manipulate people into doing your bidding?" Zoro asked bitterly.

"It didn't start out that way," Mariangely said with some heat. "When I first started, I did try to become the Pirate Queen with my own strength and natural born abilities. I quickly found out, however, that I would never be strong enough to stand against all the powerful pirates on these seas," She then looked at her hands. "I nearly given up on my dream until fate intervened. During one of my travels, I had the luck of finding the Fame Fame Devil Fruit. With it, my dream was given new life. With not even a thought, I could make even the most hardened pirate desire me and follow me to the pits of hell if I demanded it."

"So instead of building up your own strength, you depend on a Devil Fruit to control people stronger than you," Zoro summarized.

"That's a blunt way of putting it, but yes," Mariangely answered. "For years I went from crew to crew looking for a perfect match. Most of the crews I joined were weak and got themselves wiped fairly quickly. I didn't find a small, but successful crew until I joined the Cross-Hair Pirates. That was the crew you've just met, by the way."

Zoro knew that there were several pieces missing from her story. He could guess that she had something to do with those previous crews dying out.

"Their captain caused me some trouble, but he was easily dealt with," Mariangely continued in a dismissive tone. "After that, we sailed the Grand Line with little difficulty."

"Then why did you leave them?" Zoro questioned as he attempted to will his body to attack her. Although everything she was saying was pissing him off, it wasn't enough to break the spell over him. Instead, he actually found himself being more taken in by her.

"Simply put, they didn't have what it took to make me the Pirate Queen. I needed an even stronger crew and that's when I've read about you," Mariangely said as she smiled at Zoro. "You, particularly, were already quite infamous even before you entered the Grand Line and I've even heard rumors that it was actually your captain that defeated the Warlord Crocodile and not Commodore What's His Name. Not to mention your own accomplishment of defeating over one-hundred bounty hunters single-handedly. I knew, however, your crew had what it takes to reach the end of the Grand Line when I read you not only challenged the World Government, but also completely defeated them at Enies Lobby. A crew such of that can definitely reach the One Piece."

Zoro couldn't help but be flattered by her words.

"Once I knew you were at Water 7, it was easy to predict what island you would be visiting next," Mariangely said. "I had the Cross-Hair Pirates drop me off at that island and I sold myself to that brothel under the story of settling my old captain's gambling debt."

"You made yourself into a whore just so you could have a convincing backstory?" Zoro asked in disbelief. What was wrong with this woman?

"My powers work best when I can get the people to sympathize with me," Mariangely explained coolly. "I had to do something to my body that I'm not happy about, but it was all worth it in the end. The moment your captain laid eyes on me, I knew he was mine. I just had to play the part of the 'reluctant' crewmate to seal the deal."

Zoro narrowed his eyes. "You bitch."

"Such language," Mariangely mocked. "If you must blame anyone, then blame your dear captain's trusting nature. Even by my standards, it was all too easy to gain his trust. I doubted I even needed my power to sway him."

Zoro already knew that Luffy tended to trust people too much, but his instincts tended to be dead on when it came to people's hearts. Even when he had ever reason to distrust his own crewmates, Luffy was always right about the people he chose to sail under him. It made him despise Mariangely even more by the way she took advantage of Luffy's fate in his crew.

"Do you think, after everything you have done, that I will let you get away with any of this?" Zoro growled.

"As I said before, you really don't want to hurt me," Mariangely said in a smooth voice. "In fact, I'm willing to bet you actually want to join me instead."

"What!" Zoro exclaimed in disbelief. What the hell was she talking about?

"Last night, you said you wanted to be the Pirate King," Mariangely said. "I heard the passion in your voice."

"I wanted to be the Pirate King in honor of Luffy," Zoro stated coldly.

"You may say that, but we both know it isn't true," Mariangely said in a sedative tone. "Think about, Zoro. With your skills, determination, and passion, you're more than able to become the new Pirate King."

Zoro had to fight himself not to smile during her compliment.

"Together Zoro, we can reach the end of the Grand Line and achieve both our dreams," Mariangely said, her voice nearly becoming a whisper. "With your strength and my ability to build a powerful, loyal crew, we can rule the Grand Line together as king and queen. You would not only be the greatest swordsman, but the strongest person in the world, surpassing even the great Whitebeard."

Zoro couldn't help but like the idea. He had never cared or wanted to be a pirate, let alone the Pirate King. Nonetheless, Mariangely did make the title tempting. If he could become both the greatest swordsman and find the One Piece, there would be no one left to challenge him. His name would not only soar to the heavens and beyond, but be burnt into the history of the world. Yes, it was all too tempting and his felt his will begin to falter.

Mariangely smiled to herself. She had won. Zoro was now truly hers and she didn't need those other foolish Strawhats with this monster on her side. With him, they would build the most powerful pirate crew in the world.

"Pirate King suits you better than that stupid boy, Strawhat Luffy," Mariangely said with a small laugh. "That idiot could never achieve such a dream, being the trusting, kind-hearted moron that he is. If it weren't by some divine prank, he would have met his end yesterday and just become another copse at the bottom of the sea. He's unworthy to be a pirate, let alone the Pirate King."

The look on Zoro's face suddenly shifted and the fire returned to his eyes. Mariangely was taken off-guard by the sudden change in his demeanor and backed off.

"You said the wrong thing, woman," Zoro growled as the fog lifted from his mind. "Even if you think I'm worthy of being the Pirate King, only Luffy deserves to have that title."

He then attempted to cut Mariangely in half, but she quickly parried with one of her knives.

"What, why? What does that boy have that could possibly make you think he can become the Pirate King? Do you admire him so much because of his power?" Mariangely asked in disbelief.

"Luffy has far more than just power," Zoro said as he began to overwhelm Mariangely. "He's not only strong, but he built a powerful crew out of trust and friendship. He doesn't need a Devil Fruit to make people loyal to him and he doesn't abuse our trust. He treats us as equals and would sacrifice his own life and ambitions for the sake of our happiness. That to me is what makes a king."

Mariangely's eyes widened in horror as Zoro pushed her aside and cut her across her stomach. She cried in pain and she quickly pulled back.

"Damn you!" Mariangely yelled as she pulled out her guns. "Fine, then go to hell along with your precious captain!"

She shot at him several times and Zoro was able to deflect most of the bullets. Some of them, however, did manage to graze his shoulder and waist. This barely slowed him down as he charged towards Mariangely again and attempted to completely gut her.

Mariangely used her fast reflexes to dodge the attack and managed to kick Zoro hard on his head. She then followed it with a vicious punch to his chest that sent him flying back.

Zoro hissed in pain as he rubbed his now sore ribs.

"I wasn't lying when I said I trained at a dojo for most of my life. I also wasn't lying when I said I liked you," Mariangely said coldly. "You'll pay for turning me down and getting into my heart."

"Cry me a river," Zoro growled as he stood back up and went on the attack again.

Mariangely attempted to shoot him again, but Zoro sliced one of her guns in two with one swift motion of his sword, surprising her.

"You buy cheap guns," Zoro stated as he stabbed Mariangely in the chest. The stab, however, wasn't fatal since she had been able to move at the last minute.

Mariangely used this opportunity to punch Zoro again, causing him to pull his sword from her gut. Blood spilled out everywhere, but Mariangely was barely bothered by it. Instead, she took out her second gun to shot Zoro clean in his hand, making him drop one of his swords.

Mariangely smirked at him. "Let's see how good your two-sword style is."

Zoro growled in frustration. He began to realize that despite his anger, her Devil Fruit was still affecting him. Despite himself, he was holding back against her. At this rate, defeat was inevitable.

Mariangely ran in and kicked Zoro hard in his wounded hand, causing him to cry in pain. While he was distractive, Mariangely took her gun and ruthlessly shot Zoro in his other hand.

Zoro screamed as he was forced to drop his second sword. Now, he only had his Wado Ichimonji in his mouth. For good measure, Mariangely also shot him in the legs and arms several times, disabling his ability to move. She was very careful not to hit a major artery or bone. She wanted to make sure he suffered for as long as possible.

He was all but defenseless against her now as he fell to the cold ground. How had it come to this? Was this the limit of his strength? Was he to die by the hands of this witch?

"Did you actually think you could win?" Mariangely mocked. "Stupid, you took all of your captain's pain not even two weeks ago, leaving your body near ruin. Not to mention, my Devil Fruit prevents you from doing any real damage to me."

Zoro just scowled at her.

"It's a shame to end your life here," Mariangely said as she pointed her gun at Zoro's head. "But you brought this all on yourself."

Zoro, despite his pain, got ready to leap one last time. If he were going to die, he wouldn't be killed execution style.

Before the shot came a blur of black shot in front of Zoro. He then heard the unforgettable sound of bones breaking. Zoro looked up to see Sanji standing in front of him and was shock to see that the love cook had actually kicked Mariangely square in the jaw, shattering it on impact.

Seeing his opening, Zoro used the last of his strength to jump up and hit Mariangely directly with his last sword. The slash was so powerful that it sent Mariangely flying. Mariangely was unable to stop herself as she went over the cliff and down to the water below.

Zoro had just enough time to get one last look at her violet eyes before she disappeared from sight. He then collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"Looks like you overdid it again, shitty swordsman," Sanji said as he looked over his fallen crewmate. He was bleeding badly in several places and was covered in dirt and mud. He had definitely seen better days. Although this wasn't the worst condition he has seen Zoro in.

"I didn't ask for your help, love cook," Zoro choked out.

"Maybe not, but you sure needed it," Sanji said in slight annoyance.

There was a long pause that came between the two men.

"You hit a girl," Zoro stated bluntly.

Sanji's expression was blank. "I know. I don't even know how I did it either. My mind was completely blank and I was able to hit her." His eyes suddenly became downcast. "Even though she more than deserved it, I've not only broken my code, but I helped murder a woman."

Zoro wasn't sure what to say to him. He knew Sanji treasured his code to the point that he nearly allowed himself to die over it. He could only imagine the conflict going on in his mind at the moment. But he had other things on his mind at the moment.

"How's Luffy?" Zoro asked.

"He should be fine, according to Chopper," Sanji said. "Although he's worried about that gunshot wound. A couple more inches to the right and it would have pierced his heart, killing him instantly. There's also still a danger of infection."

Zoro had to keep himself from shivering as he listened to this. How close they had come to losing Luffy. For a while, they truly thought they had.

"Speaking of Chopper, he's going to have a fit when he sees you," Sanji said as he crossed his arms. "First Thriller Bark, now this? Do you want to die, shitty swordsman?"

Zoro sighed, ignoring Sanji's banter. He knew all too well that he was in for a tongue lashing from Chopper. It wasn't like he was trying to get shot.

"Can you walk?" Sanji asked, although he already knew the answer.

Zoro chose not to answer him as he attempted to stand up. All his attempts, however, failed.

Sanji rolled his eyes as he went to pick up Zoro.

"Stop, you stupid love cook," Zoro growled before Sanji could reach him.

"Don't be so prideful, shit head," Sanji said in annoyance. "It's obvious that you can't walk back to the ship and I won't have you bleed to death from trying to crawl your way back."

"It's not that, moron," Zoro said as he looked towards his fallen swords. "Get my swords for me."

Sanji finally took notice of the fallen blades. Without another word, he picked both of them up and sheathed them for Zoro. With that task done, he lifted the swordsman over his shoulders and began the long walk back to others.

Nothing more was said between the two since they were both in their own worlds.


	10. Rebuilding Trust

Nami stared worriedly into the distance as she waited for Zoro and Sanji to return. Normally, she wouldn't be worried about those two. They were both monsters after all. This, however, was different. Mariangely may not seem like such a threat, but her powers were extremely dangerous. She had been able to infiltrate their crew and manipulate them with too much ease. The thought that they had accepted her and treated her like a friend...like family...was enough to make Nami both mad and sick by the depth of the betrayal.

With such a simple ability, she had nearly been able to do what so many marines and pirates had failed to accomplish. She had almost succeeded in killing their captain and it was only by the grace of some god or deity that he was still alive.

"Luffy, stand still," Chopper said firmly as he treated his captain's wounds. Despite how gentle James attempted to be, he had caused Luffy's bullet and knife wound to slightly reopen. It was mostly likely because Luffy had made him rush here.

Luffy hissed in pain as the reindeer retightened the bandages.

James, meanwhile, was tending to his own crew. Aaron's ribs were now wrapped and he was breathing easier. Tommy's own gunshot wound was also wrapped and the bleeding was stopped.

"This should hold you over until we've returned to the ship," James said as he cleaned his hands.

"Never mind about me. You should have gone after Mariangely," Tommy said. "She can't be allowed to escape."

"I wouldn't worry too much," Usopp assured. "Zoro is more than capable of handling her." He could only imagine what Zoro was doing to Mariangely.

"You don't understand. He's still under Mariangely's power," Tommy stated as he grunted in pain. "Even if he really wants to fight her, her ability will cause him to hesitate. That's just the opening she needs to kill him."

Robin frowned when she heard this information. She thought the revelation of what has happened to their captain would be enough to overcome the Fame Fame Fruit, but now she was not sure.

"Zoro-san won't fail," Brook said as he looked at Luffy. "Not after what she did to Luffy."

It was strange since Brook was normally not this violent, especially towards a woman. But he wanted Mariangely to pay for everything that she had done.

"My only regret is that we all can't take a pound at her," Franky said as he cracked his knuckles.

He would have given chase the moment she bolted, but that woman was fast. By the time he realized that she was escaping, she was a dot over the horizon. With such speed, only Sanji or Zoro could keep up with her. Damn, how he hated speedsters.

Speaking of curly brow, Franky wondered if he was okay too. He knew Sanji said he would help Zoro, but honestly what could he do? From what Nami told him, Sanji couldn't hit a woman even to save his life. Even if Mariangely was an utter bitch, he doubted that curly brow would even be able to touch her, especially given her powers. He actually may be more of a hindrance towards Zoro than a benefit.

"I see them coming!" Usopp yelled as he looked through his goggles.

The Strawhats and the Cross-Haired Pirates all looked up to see Sanji coming over one of the hills with a wounded Zoro on his back. It looked awkward seeing Sanji carrying Zoro since Zoro was a little taller than him.

"Zoro!" Chopper yelled as he changed into his Walking Point and ran towards the two. Even from this distance, he could smell the blood and gunpowder.

"I'm fine," Zoro muttered when Chopper got close enough. "These are just flesh wounds."

"These aren't just flesh wounds!" Chopper yelled as Sanji put his wounded crewmate down. "You've been shot!"

"Did Mariangely do this to you?" Brook asked in surprise. He knew Mariangely was no pushover, but he hadn't expected her to do such damage.

"I got careless," Zoro said as he tried to hide his shame. He couldn't look his crew in their eyes.

"What happened to Mariangely?" Tommy asked, forcing himself to walk towards Zoro.

"The last time I saw her, she was falling off a cliff," Zoro said bluntly.

Tommy was left speechless.

"So, Mariangely is dead?" James asked.

"Don't know," Zoro admitted. "We didn't look over the cliff to make sure she hit the water. In either case, she won't be causing any trouble again."

Sanji's eyes suddenly became downcast, which caught Robin's attention. She didn't say anything, however, since this wasn't the time for it.

Tommy turned towards James. "We should go and make sure the job is done."

James nodded. "I'll send a search party once we've returned to the ship. The most pressing matter at the moment, however, is getting you and Aaron proper medical care."

Tommy looked like he was going to protest.

"It's better we get extra help," Aaron said. "If she's still alive, we're not in much shape to face her and we can't underestimate her powers."

"These bullet wounds are quite deep," Chopper commented. "These don't look like regular gunshot wounds."

James crossed his arms. "His injures are very similar to your captains. Most likely, he got pumped with sharpened sea stone bullets."

"Are you trying to say she hit him with bullets worth thousands of belli?" Franky asked in disbelief.

"If she didn't have time to change her ammo, yes," James stated.

"Is sea stone dangerous to non-Devil Fruit user?" Chopper asked as he disinfected the wounds and removed any bullet shells.

"Not to my knowledge," James said.

"Is...is Zoro okay?" Luffy asked as he attempted to sit up. Nami and Usopp were currently looking after him.

"He's fine, Luffy," Nami said gently as she pushed her captain back down. "Just think about getting well right now."

Usopp nodded. "Mariangely's gone. She can't hurt any of us again."

Luffy's eyes had a glassy look to them. "Everyone...I'm sorry..."

The Strawhats turned towards their captain. His voice was so soft that some of them had to get closer to hear him.

"It's...it's all my fault that this happened. If I haven't invited Mariangely..." Luffy started.

"It wasn't your fault, bro," Franky cut him off. "We were all taken in by her."

"But..." Luffy attempted to argue.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of Strawhat," Aaron said. "Mariangely had a powerful ability that few could fight against. At least you've all made it out alive. The same can't be said about us."

Nami frowned as a realization hit her. "But why did she try to kill Luffy herself? I mean, why didn't she try to do to us what she did to your crew?"

"I have a theory," James said. "I think it is because of how close you all are."

All the Strawhats looked at James, encouraging him to continue.

"Your crew, despite all your power, is quite small and I surmise that all of you are close because of that. The stronger the bond a person has, the more effort that Mariangely had to put in to keep her influence," James explained. "She must have known that despite the greater concentration of her power that nothing she did could encourage you to attack your captain. So, she took matters into her own hands. She must have figured with all of you in disarray after Strawhat Luffy's death, she could easily move into a position of leadership. Much like what she did with us."

"So, your crew doesn't have such a strong bond?" Usopp asked.

James sighed. "No, we didn't."

"I...I had issues with my brother even before we found Mariangely," Tommy admitted. "As much as I hate to admit it, Mariangely just took advantage of something that was already there."

Zoro winced as he heard those words. It would seemed that Mariangely was telling the truth when she said she couldn't affect something that didn't exist to begin with. Did that mean that he was actually attracted to Mariangely and she only exacerbated it? Even worst, did he really want to become the Pirate King over Luffy?

"It's all in the past now," Aaron said. "With Mariangely dealt with, we can finally move on with our lives. We've may have lost our captain, but we still have the chance to rebuild and become even stronger. It's the only real thing we can do to honor our captain now."

Nami's heart went out to the Cross-Hairs. The sadness, grief, and anger that filled her crew when they had thought Luffy was killed were still fresh in her mind. The Cross-Haired had to live with that pain everyday and have the added knowledge that they were the ones who killed their captain, even if they had not been in their right minds.

"What do you mean, Mariangely had a greater influence on our crew anyway?" Usopp suddenly asked.

"Mariangely's Devil Fruit works more effectively when she has less people to influence," James explained. "A small crew like you was perfect for her control. At least in principle."

"Done," Chopper said as he finished bandaging Zoro's wounds. "We need to take him back to the ship so I can properly clean his injures."

Sanji nodded as he picked Zoro back up again and carried him piggyback.

Franky went over to Luffy and lifted him up as well.

"Hey, thanks for taking care of me," Luffy said to Cross-Haired Pirates.

"You shouldn't thank us," Tommy said. "We didn't help you for your benefit."

Luffy chuckled. "I know that, but thanks anyway." He began to smile widely. "Even though you helped us for your own reasons, you still save my crew. I'm forever grateful."

James, Aaron, and Tommy were surprise to hear such humble words from the boy captain.

"Yes, we owe you all a great debt," Robin said with a small smile of her own.

"If you ever need anything in the future, just call us," Luffy said.

James smiled. "Thank you, Strawhat."

With their farewells said, the two pirate crews went their separate ways. The trip back to the Sunny for the Strawhats was quiet and Luffy fell asleep halfway through the trip. Zoro was also fighting to stay conscious since he wanted to be sure that his crew safe. Mariangely was gone, but she could still be alive somewhere in wait. He wouldn't feel at ease until this cursed island was far behind them.

When they got back to the ship, Luffy and Zoro were immediately taken into the infirmary so Chopper could give them proper medical care. Thankfully, none of Zoro's wounds were mortal, but he would be bedridden for a day or two.

Luffy's condition was also worrisome given his labored breathing. Because sea stone had hit Luffy, his usual increased healing was hindered. For the lack of better words, he would have to recover like a normal human. Chopper, however, had to give the Cross-Hair credit for taking such good care of Luffy. If it weren't for their immediate medical care, Luffy would have been beyond saving.

"Given both Luffy and Zoro's conditions, we shouldn't set sail right away," Chopper said as he explained everything to his crew. They were all gathered in the gallery having lunch.

"Still, I don't feel very comfortable staying here," Usopp said.

"Even if Mariangely is still alive somehow, I doubt she would come here for revenge," Robin said. "Especially if she was as badly injured as Sanji has stated."

"We should still keep our guard up," Nami said as she sipped some orange juice.

"I'll take first watch tonight," Sanji said quickly.

"I'll take the second," Usopp said. He really didn't feel like sleeping tonight and he needed to feel useful at the moment.

Nami nodded in agreement. "Hopefully, Luffy will be able to recover soon even with the sea stone in his system." She prayed for a peaceful night. They all had enough drama for one week.

The rest of the day passed without incident, but the Strawhats felt strangely incomplete without Mariangely being with them. They knew it was all an effort of her Devil Fruit, but it still unnerved them to how deeply they felt her loss. It was so bad that Brook found himself playing nothing but sad songs for the rest of the day, despite himself.

Even Sanji seemed very depressed, although it didn't seemed to be for the same reasons as everyone else. He didn't even bother flirting with Robin and Nami. In fact, he completed avoided them and refuse to make eye contact with either of them.

Nami tried to approach Sanji several times to get to the root of his problem, but he just brushed her concerns off with empty smiles and void assurances.

By the time night came, the Strawhats were all too happy to call it a day.

Sanji sat in the Observatory with a blank expression as he held his now cold hot chocolate. As hard as he tried, he couldn't rid his mind of Mariangely. He knew it wasn't just the influence of her Devil Fruit that made him feel such guilt. The source of his grief was the fact that he had hit her.

Mariangely undoubtedly deserved more than a broken jaw from him. She had nearly singlehandedly destroyed his crew and attempted to murder one of them from under their noses. The fact that she had come so close to her goal was what disturbed him the most. If it weren't for the Cross-Haired Pirates, she would have all but succeeded.

Still, he was overcome by the fact that he had hit her and helped send her to her death. The look she had given as she fell over the cliff would forever be burnt into his memories. Dammit, why did things come to this?

"Hello, Sanji," a voice gently greeted him.

Sanji turned around to see Robin climbing up the ladder. She had a soft smile on her face.

Sanji forced himself to return the smile. "Hi, Robin-chan. Why are you up at this time of night?"

He should be happy. This was the first time any of the women has visited him during watch. He remembered all too well being jealous of moss head when Mariangely would visit him during watch. The thought of Mariangely once again crashed his mood.

"I thought you could use some company tonight," Robin said as she took a seat near the cook.

They both stood in silent for a couple of minutes.

"Robin-chan, as much I love you being here, why are you here?" Sanji finally asked.

Robin knew there was no point in stalling things. "I am here because I know you are hurt."

Sanji chuckled humorlessly to himself. "Isn't it shameful that I'm mourning someone who tried to rip apart my crew?"

Robin shook her head. "Not at all. I find myself missing her too despite myself. For about a week, I thought of Mariangely like a _sister_." She nearly sneered that last part out.

"But..." Sanji started, but he couldn't bring himself to finish.

"Something happened when you confronted her that last time," Robin surmised.

"I...I hit her," Sanji blurted out, unable to keep it in any longer. "I broke my code and attacked a woman. No, I didn't just hit her, I shattered her jaw."

Robin didn't look too surprised to hear this. She had expected as much when she saw the shadows in Sanji's eyes. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"But I broke my code!" Sanji yelled. "I couldn't hit a woman even to save you from the World Government, yet I was able to kick Mariangely without a thought."

"It was because of what Mariangely had done that allowed you to hit her," Robin said. "Kalifa may have been an assassin and a spy from the World Government, but she did not act out of malice. Despite everything, she fought for her own justice and sense of righteousness. Mariangely, on the other hand, was just a selfish a little girl who used others to play pirate. Such a woman does not deserve respect."

Sanji blinked at the harshness of Robin's words. "I know. But can I ever go back after today."

Robin said nothing for a moment. "I see what you have done not as a betrayal of your code, but an extension of it. You hit Mariangely to protect us. To protect Nami-chan and me. If left alone, Mariangely would have destroyed all of us just like she tried to destroy Luffy."

Sanji winced as he thought of his captain. It disgusted him that anyone who sailed under their flag would have the nerve to stab his captain in the back and then shoot him. It was just as Aaron said. It was all a planned assassination.

"It may takes some time, but I think you will someday think nothing of your actions today," Robin said.

Sanji wanted to believe Robin, but he still wasn't sure. Nonetheless, he did feel better talking about what had happened and he knew he was on the right path to healing. Even with today's events, he could and would never give up on his code. If he could help it, he would never hit another woman again.

Although the promise felt a bit hollow since he didn't know what he would do if another person threatened his crew in the same way Mariangely did. He supposed only time would tell.

* * *

While Sanji and Robin were having their talk, Zoro laid wide awake in the infirmary. As tired as his body was, he couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he kept seeing Mariangely. He missed her warmth, her hugs, and her soft kisses. It utterly disgusted him.

Worst, however, was her final temptation to him. She had actually offered to make him the Pirate King. What disturbed him was how close he had come to accepting her offer. He wanted to blame her Devil Fruit, but he now knew that he really couldn't. Mariangely may have exacerbated his ambition, but he knew that they had always existed within him. A part of him wanted or at least thought that he could the Pirate King.

Such a realization felt like a betrayal of Luffy's trust. Hadn't he stood up to Kuma and offered his life for his captain? Hadn't he stood up to the Warlord and proclaimed that Luffy must be the Pirate King? When he lay in a puddle of his own blood after Mihawk had tried to split him opened, hadn't he called Luffy the Pirate King on no uncertain terms? Had he somehow been lying to himself when he spoke those words? Had he just used Luffy's supposed death so he could claim the title for himself? In his heart of hearts, was he no different than Mariangely?

"Zoro, you're still awake?" Luffy's weakened voice asked.

Zoro immediately turned towards his captain. "Yes, but you should be asleep. You're the one who nearly died the other night."

Luffy said nothing for a moment. "Why are you so sad?"

Zoro snorted, trying to act insulted. "I'm not sad, idiot."

"Liar," Luffy said bluntly.

Zoro said nothing as he stared at his captain.

"You're thinking of Mariangely," Luffy stated.

Zoro gave a deep sighed. There were no hiding things from Luffy. He knew his crew too well. "She offered to make me Pirate King."

Luffy's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"More specially, she wanted me to become the Pirate King by making her the Pirate Queen," Zoro said with a humorless laughed. "It sounds so ridiculous."

"Why did she think you wanted to be the Pirate King?" Luffy asked.

"Because...I told her I wanted to become the Pirate King," Zoro said as he looked up at the ceiling. "When...when I thought you were killed I made a vow to you. I vowed to become the Pirate King in your place."

Luffy chose to say nothing.

"I'd told Mariangely and she tried to use my ambition to turn me against my crew," Zoro said.

"And you said no," Luffy said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"But I was tempted," Zoro argued. "Even if it was for a moment, I was tempted to take her offer. I actually wanted to become the Pirate King instead of you."

There was a slight pause.

"Do you want to be the Pirate King?" Luffy asked.

Zoro was silent for a moment. "It never really crossed my mind. My only ambition since I was young was to become the greatest swordsman. Before now, I'd never once considered being the Pirate King."

"Why not?" Luffy continued to ask.

"It just never interested me," Zoro said. "Before I met you, I never wanted to be a pirate, so why would I want to be king of them?"

"So, you only wanted to become the Pirate King after you thought I'd died," Luffy said.

Zoro nodded. "Yeah."

"Then, I see nothing wrong," Luffy chuckled weakly.

This surprised Zoro.

"The only reason Mariangely was able to tempt you was because you wanted to become Pirate King for my sake. It wasn't because you're greedy or anything like that."

Zoro had never thought of it that way. Perhaps Mariangely's powers had taken a desire to honor his captain and twisted it into becoming his new dream. In the end, he had fought back against Mariangely when she dared to say that he was more worthy of becoming the Pirate King than Luffy.

"Besides, I wouldn't mind if you did become the Pirate King," Luffy said, surprising Zoro even more.

"What?" Zoro questioned.

"If something happened to me that kept me from becoming the Pirate King, then I would want no one else achieving my dream accept for you and maybe Ace," Luffy said. "Because I know you can carry own my will."

Zoro truly felt touched by his captain's words. The fact that he put him as a carrier of his will along with his brother meant more to him than Luffy could ever know.

Luffy's eyes began to slowly close. "My only regret is that I can never return the favor to you. That I could never become the greatest swordsman if something happened to you."

"Don't worry about such stupid things," Zoro said firmly. "I will become the greatest swordsman, just as you will become the Pirate King. There would be no need for any of us to carry on each other's will."

Luffy just smiled as he fell back into a deep sleep. Zoro kept watching him until Luffy's breathing evened out.

"You will become the Pirate King, Luffy," Zoro said firmly. "Even if it takes my last breathe, I will pushed you to the top of the world."

With that, Zoro relaxed in his own bed and allowed himself to fall asleep. As he faded from consciousness, he allowed his memory of Mariangely to do the same.

* * *

As time went on for the Strawhats, they eventually forgot about Mariangely and her time with the crew. She became less than a shadow to them and her power eventually faded from existence.

To the Strawhats, the woman and betrayer known as Mariangely became nothing more than a bad dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it, the conclusion of Another Crewmate. This was a hard story to write since I have never done anything like this before. It was only thanks to your feedback and criticize that allow me to improve this story and iron out any plot holes or oddball dialog. Interestingly enough, I thought I would get slam for having Sanji kick a girl given his code, so I was more than surprise by how many people where cheering for Sanji in the last chapter. I guess I made Mariangely so hateful that doing something kind of OC didn't really matter. Nonetheless, I hope the conversation between Sanji and Robin clear somethings out. The same with Luffy and Zoro's talk.
> 
> As for whether Mariangely is alive or not, I left it open more because I still do not like writing the Strawhats committing murder. Although Mariangely deserves more than a small death scene. Nonetheless, she will never be returning to any of my stories, so she is pretty much dead and we're all better off for it.
> 
> Thanks again and may you all have a bless day. *bow humbly*


End file.
